Fernández eyeing immediate meeting with Wall St bankers, US government if elected

Should he win election in October, presidential hopeful Alberto Fernández will seek to quickly visit the United States, with the frontrunner already eyeing potential meetings wth Wall Street bankers and high-level representatives of the United States government.

The plans, revealed in Perfil this weekend by journalist Patricia Valli, were discussed by one of Frente de Todos' economic advisors Guillermo Nielsen at a recent meeting with businessmen.

The former finance secretary, who served under governments led by Eduardo Duhalde (2002-2003) Néstor Kirchner (2003-2005), said the aim would be to generate confidence in the markets about a prospective Fernández government.

Nielsen, again speaking to business leaders, said that he had already met with representatives of leading financial players, including officials from Brazilian banks and said global investment banks such as JP Morgan and Citi had requested meetings.

There was no news as to whether Fernández would seek a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

On Monday, Nielsen – along with other economic reference points for the Frente de Todos coalition – was due to meet with Alejandro Werner and Roberto Cardarelli from the International Monetary Fund's mission team, which arrived in Buenos Aires over the weekend.  The former government official was expected to reassure the IMF that Fernández intends to pay the debts owed as part of the government's record US$56-billion Stand By agreement.

Fernández, who has said the country would not default on its debt under his leadership, is expected to ask the IMF to renegotiate repayment plans.

Nielsen and economist Cecilia Todesca met with the new Finance Minister Hernán Lacunza over the weekend, during which discussions focused around the country's debt and its bonds, including the Central Bank's Leliq liquidity bonds.

- TIMES/PERFIL