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ATFA Co-chair Ambassador Soderberg Concludes Visit to Buenos Aires
Press Release
May 16, 2008

ATFA Co-chair Ambassador Soderberg Concludes Visit to Buenos Aires

Contact: media@atfa.org

1-888-662-2382

Friday, May 16, 2008

Washington, D.C./Buenos Aires Former UN Ambassador and American Task Force Argentina Co-chair Nancy Soderberg returned today from a three-day visit to Buenos Aires where she discussed with leading Argentines the importance of solving the bondholder issue.

During her visit, Soderberg met with leading Argentine academics, politicians, diplomats, intellectuals, economists and bondholders impacted by the debt default and restructuring, and members of the local and international press. The purpose of her visit was to emphasize the importance of Argentina resolving the bond issue and ensuring the country is part of the 21st century global economy.

In concluding her visit, Ambassador Soderberg emphasized that President Cristina Kirchner faces a real choice of which direction Argentina will pursue. "Argentina's impressive growth over the last few years can only be maintained if the country enters fully the global international markets. Rather than resolve the bond issue and enter the capital markets, the government instead chooses the expensive and unstable path of relying on Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. The people of Argentina deserve a better path. All friends of Argentina hope President Kirchner will make a better choice."

In her meetings, Soderberg emphasized that Argentina continues to feel the burden of their international debt obligations. The lack of international capital is causing a crisis with the farmers who are protesting the government's export taxes due to lack of funding for the most basic infrastructure needs. It has also driven Argentina into the arms of President Chavez who is increasingly a threat to democracy and stability in the region. His expensive loans to Argentina are another burden for the Argentine people.

AFTA urges Argentina to resolve its outstanding obligations and put the country on a path its people deserve an economy firmly rooted in the 21st century global economy.

Made up of an alliance of organizations, ATFA's leadership includes its two co-chairs, the Honorable Robert J. Shapiro, former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs in the Clinton Administration and Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, Ambassador at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York from 1997 to 2001. The Executive Director is Mr. Robert Raben, former Assistant Attorney General during the Clinton administration.

For additional information, please visit our new website at www.atfa.org, or contact media@atfa.org, or +1-888-662-2382.

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