02/23/2020 - 23:13
- Clarín.com
- Economy
For the United States, the talks between Argentina and the IMF "are moving in the right direction." Those were the words used by the US Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, after the meeting he had this Sunday with Argentine Economy Minister Martín Guzmán.
"The talks they have with the IMF are preliminary , but they are moving in the right direction," Mnuchin said according to the Reuters international agency. The White House official added: "There are many problems that still need to be addressed."
Earlier, Guzman referred to the "productive meeting" he held for "more than half an hour" with the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States during the first session of the Summit of Ministers of Finance and Presidents of Central Banks of the Group of 20 (G20) that takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Martín Guzmán during his meeting with the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, Steven Mnuchin, at the Summit of Ministers of Finance and Presidents of Central Banks of the Group of 20 (G20), which takes place in the Saudi city of Riyadh. (Photo: Ministry of Economy)
Also present at the meeting were the Argentine representative before the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Sergio Chodos, and the US Under Secretary of the Treasury, Brent McIntosh.
Guzman's meeting with Mnuch occurred after the International Monetary Fund called on Argentina to restructure the debt with private investors , that is the bondholders. Also, the international organization considered that if the country manages to take that step, the possibility of default would decrease.
"The IMF staff assesses that Argentina's debt is not sustainable," was the statement that the IMF technical team made on Wednesday about Argentina.
The tone of that report was what the Government expected, because it endorses and supports what President Alberto Fernández and his Minister of Economy Guzmán state: that the country needs to restructure its debt with private and organizations. In fact, about the end of that day, Fernandez celebrated that "the IMF recognizes the Argentine position."