On February 3, 2003, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID” or the “Centre”) received from Metalpar S.A. and Buen Aire S.A., (the “Claimants”), two companies incorporated in Chile, a Request for Arbitration against the Argentine Republic (“Argentina” or the “Respondent”) under the Convention on the Settlement for Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (the “Convention”). The request was based on the alleged adverse effects that a series of economic measures adopted by Argentine authorities in late 2001 and early 2002 would have had on the investments made by Claimants in a company manufacturing bus bodies for public transportation vehicles in Argentina.