IMF's Rato says structural reforms will be part of Argentina's loan

Argentina is willing to resume talks over its suspended International Monetary Fund loan programme once its debt swap offer is over, said IMF Managing Director Rodrigo Rato on Friday.

"The Argentine government has expressed its willingness to re-establish the actual programme once the debt restructuring offer will be finished," Rato said in questions and answers after delivering a speech on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings.

"Certainly we are more than willing to continue talking .... but structural reforms will be a part, of course, of the programme," Rato said.

Argentina suspended its IMF programme last summer when it proceeded with a restructuring of its defaulted debt, the biggest debt default in modern history. It is offering to swap over $100 billion in bad debt for new loans, paying as little as 30 cents on the dollar. The offer closes on February 25.