Argentine officials will meet again with a court appointed mediator in New York on Friday as the country tries to negotiate a solution to a high stakes dispute over unpaid debts, the Wall Street Journal reported today. Argentinian Economy Minister Axel Kicillof met for several hours Monday with Daniel Pollack, the lawyer that a U.S. judge named in June to oversee negotiations between Argentina and a small group of hedge funds that is suing to collect on defaulted Argentine bonds. Argentina risks defaulting again on its debt if it doesn’t cut a deal before the end of the month. During Monday's meeting, Kicillof asked that U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Griesa suspend his ruling, which bars the country from paying investors who own restructured bonds unless it also pays the hedge funds. Complying with the judge's order is "impossible," government officials said in a statement after the meeting. Last month, Judge Griesa blocked interest payments for $539 million due on Argentine bonds June 30 after the Kirchner administration deposited the funds with the bond trustee, but didn´t pay the hedge funds. Argentina has until July 30 to get that money to bondholders or run the risk of being declared in default.
