Spain’s energy corporation Repsol describes as ‘false’ Argentine government allegations that its affiliate YPF “had not invested sufficiently” in its hydrocarbons interests in Argentina.
Argentine Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman is in the middle of a major diplomatic blunder through a baffling series of statements regarding a letter sent by the EU to his office last week, according to a report published in the Buenos Aires Herald.
The European Union is planning to lodge a complaint at the World Trade Organization over Argentina's import restrictions and is seeking other trading partners to back its presentation, a source familiar with the situation said on Tuesday according to news agencies.
Argentina made a formal proposal to the UK for the establishment of direct flights from Argentina to the Falklands and to resume cooperation in the conservation of fishery resources in the South Atlantic, indicates a release posted on Tuesday in the Argentine Foreign Ministry site.
Rating Agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) downgraded Argentina’s economic and financial outlook to “negative,” after the expropriation of YPF, which endangers the “B” rating the country has for its sovereign debt.
Rating Agency S&P announced on Thursday it was downgrading Spain-based energy company Repsol-YPF after Argentina’s government announced the expropriation of 51% of its shares. The rating was lowered from BBB to BBB (minus), the agency said in a statement.
Senator from the Argentine ruling majority and former cabinet chief, Aníbal Fernández assured that the government “will pay the real price for the expropriation of YPF and not what Repsol’s chairman (Antonio Brufau) wants.”
Colombia is available to mediate between Spain and Argentina to find a solution to the dispute over the seizure of YPF from Repsol, said Colombian Vice-president Angelino Garzón.
Spain’s main oil corporation Repsol warned it could take legal action against companies that invest in YPF after Argentina seized control of the Spanish company's energy unit last week.
The Standing Committee from the Latin American parliament, Parlatino, approved a resolution in support of the Argentine government decision to seize a majority stake in YPF from Spain’s Repsol, according to a release made public over the weekend.