MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US satisfied with Argentine handling of farmers' dispute

The United States said it was satisfied at the way the Argentine government is handling the dispute with the farmers, said Argentine Ambassador to the US Héctor Timerman on Friday, after participating in a meeting with the US Under-Secretary for Western Hemispheric Affairs Thomas Shannon and the Treasury Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere Brian O'Neill.

US Ambassador in Buenos Aires E. Anthony Wayne, Argentine Economy Minister Carlos Fernández, Deputy-Foreign Minister Vitorio Taccetti and Finance Secretary Hernán Lorenzino were also present at the encounter in the Foreign Ministry Palacio San Martín. Timerman said that during the meeting they did not discuss any proposals regarding a possible re-negotiation of the Argentine debt with the Paris Club, an obstacle for Argentina to have access to international soft credits. "The word Paris was never mentioned, not even as a tourist location, and the only club we talked about was Boca Juniors," Timerman told reporters. Regarding the government's conflict with the agricultural sector, Timerman quoted O'Neill, "who is a financier" as saying he was "satisfied to see that Argentina is handling the situation efficiently, and that the issue has not generated a significant impact on the county's development". Shannon and O'Neill denied that the US economy has entered a recession, and said they are willing to schedule annual meetings with the economy ministers of other Latin American countries, as in Cancún, Mexico, last month to "analyze subjects with an open agenda, to exchange ideas freely," the ambassador said. The Argentine official added that in the meeting the current situation of "rising inflation among the economies of developing countries" was mentioned, which he said would be boosted by the increase in commodities prices. After leaving the Foreign Ministry, Shannon and Wayne had a protocol meeting with Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri, after which Shannon said: "It was a very interesting meeting; we had the chance to exchange ideas on how to improve relations with City Hall". Buenos Aires Herald