|
Cuba
wants 75% debt relief from Argentina
Mercosur. Wednesday, 15 October.
MercoPress,
Uruguay.
Argentine Foreign Affairs Minister Rafael Bielsa
admitted that Cuba requested a 75% write off from
the 1,9 billion US dollars standing debt it has
with Argentina. On his way back from the first
official visit in 14 years of an Argentine Foreign
Affairs Minister to the Fidel Castro regime, Mr.
Bielsa said that when you break ground, "you
must be prepared to accept similar rules".
Argentina recently proposed private holders
of defaulted sovereign bonds a write off equivalent
to 75%.
"We will define the issue by next November",
said Mr. Bielsa.
However 50 million US dollars of the total debt
will be exchanged in a five year period for free
medical treatment of Argentine patients with complicated
diagnosis. Other options include medicine, education
and even a plan for the promotion of Argentine
sales to Cuba.
Mr. Bielsa also had the rare privilege of spending
six hours discussing with President Castro, "which
were particularly useful for my job as Foreign
Secretary".
As a result of the meeting Argentine president
Nestor Kirchner has been invited to Cuba, an event
that has a tentative date of next February.
"However this will depend on President Kirchner's
agenda. Cubans are very much interested in the
recovery of Argentine dignity that President Kirchner
has achieved in negotiations with the IMF, in
human rights issues and in combating corruption.
They are all looking forward to his visit",
underlined Mr. Bielsa.
Mr. Bielsa confessed that he finally decided
not to meet relatives of incarcerated Cuban dissidents
given the "controversial atmosphere"
following US president George Bush announcement
of further tightening the Cuban embargo.
"To insist in the issue would have been
an intrusion in Cuban internal affairs and that
was not the purpose of our visit".
|
