Ukraine, creditors to continue debt talks after San Francisco meeting
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine and a group of its largest creditors said on Friday debt restructuring talks would continue after they held detailed discussions in San Francisco.
The two sides held negotiations on Wednesday and Thursday in what Kiev billed as the absolute deadline for a deal to restructure $19 billion of sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt.
"The Ukrainian delegation and the ad hoc creditors' committee held detailed discussions in San Francisco. Talks are on going," they said in a brief joint statement.
The often bitter negotiations have dragged on for five months, snared on whether the bonds' face value should be written down. Kiev has warned it would halt debt payments if an agreement is not reached this week.
The latest statement gave no indication if the two sides had moved any closer to an agreement.
Crucial debt payment deadlines looming for Ukraine are a $60 million coupon on Aug. 23 and a $500-million bond maturing on Sept. 23.
(Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
