MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US willing to help Argentina reach accord with Paris Club

Argentina is too an important country to be left out of international money markets, said US Under Secretary of State for Latinamerica Thomas Shannon following his recent visit to Argentina when he met with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Shannon added that Washington was interested in helping Argentina reach an agreement on capital arrears with the Paris Club, totaling 6.2 billion US dollars "There's no easy way out for an agreement with the Paris Club, but we've sent out the signal that Argentina is too an important country to be left out of international money markets", said the number three man in the US State Department. Shannon underlined Argentina has good long term growth prospects and must attract important corporations from United States and other places according to a long interview published in the Brazilian financial newspaper Valor Economico. "The more we help Argentina to solve its problems and retake access to world money markets, better for Argentina and for the foreign corporations working from Argentina", added Shannon. The US official admitted that "for several reasons" relations between Argentina and Washington "have been defined by their differences". When asked if the Paris Club could consider condoning Argentine debt, Shannon simply replied that "we're not talking details, there's still much ahead. What matters is that we are willing to work favorably with them (Argentina)". As to convergence areas between the US and Argentina, Shannon mentioned cooperation in combating drugs and terrorism, promotion of US tourism to Argentina, agreements in education issues and "ways to help with the Paris Club".