Court-appointed negotiator: Argentina won't answer calls to resume debt settlement talks

A lawyer appointed to lead negotiations between U.S. bondholders and Argentina over unpaid debts says the South American nation is not responding to requests to negotiate.

Special Master Daniel A. Pollack says Thursday that Argentina's lawyers have failed to respond to calls over the past two weeks.

Pollack said the judge presiding over the court case in New York asked him to issue a statement on the status of negotiations. The special master said he resumed efforts to negotiate Jan. 30 with an offer by bondholders to negotiate a deal so that Argentina would not have to make immediate cash payments.

U.S. bondholders say they are owed $1.5 billion for bonds bought on the cheap after Argentina defaulted in 2001 on $100 billion of debt. Lawyers did not immediately return messages seeking comment.