BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

26/09/2007

Telekom Austria in final stages of talks for Belarus's MDC - report

VIENNA (Thomson Financial) - Telekom Austria AG is in the final stages of exclusive negotiations to purchase Belarusian mobile phone provider MDC from its current owner, SB Holding, according to unnamed sources close to the negotiations cited by Austrian press agency APA.

'If the Telekom Austria supervisory board gives its go-ahead at its meeting next Tuesday, then the acquisition (of MDC) should be clinched,' the sources said.

Telekom Austria is interested in purchasing a 70 pct stake in SB Holding, in which Austrian businessman Martin Schlaff is said to have a minority interest, according to unspecified media reports cited by APA.

A high-ranking representative of Russia's VimpelCom told Russian newspaper Kommersant while his company is interested in purchasing a 49 pct stake in MDC, its talks with SB Holding are 'certainly not near to being concluded' and VimpelCom will simply look for other investment opportunities if Telekom Austria succeeds in acquiring MDC.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/09/26/afx4157602.html

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