
A judge sided with Argentina in its debt standoff on Wednesday, agreeing to let orders protecting creditors expire so that large U.S. hedge funds and smaller entities and people can be paid at least US$6.2 billion to satisfy settlements reached over the last month.

Mark Andrew Geoffrey Kent, currently ambassador in Thailand has been appointed British ambassador in Argentina, in succession of Dr. John Freeman, who will be transferring to another diplomatic service appointment. Mr. Kent is expected to take his new job during July this year.

At the formal opening of the 134th congressional term on Tuesday, Argentine president Mauricio Macri said on Tuesday that his administration is building mature and sensible relations with all countries of the world, and Mercosur is a priority, but dialoguing with world leaders, including British PM David Cameron “does not mean giving up our sovereignty claim over the Malvinas Islands”.

In a one hour speech before the Argentine congress, president Mauricio Macri spent half the time describing the country he received and in the other half made some announcements, but above all tried to transmit optimism, willingness to overcome, and insisted in the three pillars of his electoral pledge, eliminating poverty, combating drug-trafficking and unity among all Argentines.

Soil and pebbles from the Falkland Islands together with letters from Tierra del Fuego residents were received by Pope Francis during the recent visit of an Argentine delegation that included president Mauricio Macri, several ministers and three governors, one of them, Ms. Rosana Bertone from the most austral of Argentine provinces.

Daniel A. Pollack, Special Master appointed to preside over settlement negotiations between the Republic of Argentina and its “Holdout” Bondholders, this morning (29 February) issued the following statement:

Uruguay, now with the support from Argentina, is very much interested in advancing with the cooperation and trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, and is planning for president Tabare Vazquez to attend a Brussels meeting with EU officials to emphasize the matter.

Argentina received support for its economic reforms from the United States, China and Europe during the Finance ministers meeting held in Shanghai over the weekend in anticipation of the G20 heads of state and government summit next June, according to a release from the Argentine Finance ministry.

It was a 'good, enriching' meeting, a private conversation between the Holy Father and the president which covered all the areas we expected to cover, was how the Argentine foreign minister described Saturday's 22 minutes meeting between Francis and visiting President Mauricio Macri.

The long-awaited meeting between Argentine President Mauricio Macri and Pope Francis ended up being a frosty encounter that lasted a mere 22 minutes. The Vatican officially described the sit-down as “cordial,” and Macri told reporters that the pontiff asked him to fight corruption, poverty and drug-trafficking in the country.