By Cassandra Garrison and Philip Pullella
BUENOS AIRES/ROME (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund's managing director and Argentina's economy minister are due to attend a Vatican conference next month, potentially paving the way for talks as the South American nation faces a massive debt restructuring.
Kristalina Georgieva and Martin Guzman were both listed as speakers for the Feb. 5 conference in an online booklet published by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
The new administration of President Alberto Fernandez, which took office on Dec. 10, is gearing up for the renegotiation of about $100 billion in sovereign debt with creditors including the IMF, which is providing a $57 billion financing package.
Guzman was tapped by Fernandez to lead the talks. He is listed as speaker at the Vatican City conference while Georgieva will deliver a keynote address.
An IMF spokesman confirmed Georgieva's plans to attend but said he had no information about possible bilateral meetings. A spokesman for Guzman did not immediately respond to request for comment on Thursday.