(Adds context of Bessent's and Milei's comments ) By Rodrigo Campos and Libby George NEW YORK/LONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Argentina's international dollar bonds zigzagged on Thursday after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said upcoming in-person discussions in Washington would "meaningfully advance" the country's pledge of financial support for President Javier Milei's government, but later said in an interview that the US is "not putting money into Argentina". An initial rally fizzled and bonds, which rose close to two cents after Bessent's initial comments, were trading negative shortly after his "no money" statement. Milei had said Wednesday night that part of the negotiations with the United States included purchases of bonds in the secondary market and "profit-sharing." Bessent said last week the U.S. is in negotiations over a $20 billion swap line with Argentina's central bank and stands ready to do what is needed to support the South American country. The 2030 maturity was marginally lower after having risen more than 2 cents earlier. Argentina's financial markets, which rallied strongly after Bessent's initial support pledge last month, have fallen in recent days around uncertainty over U.S. backing and concerns over the fate of Milei's reformist agenda after mid-term legislative elections later this month. (Reporting by Libby George and Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Amanda Cooper and Chizu Nomiyama )
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