ComNews: Results of Tender for ArmenTel Known
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.07.2006 13:22 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ System Russian Holding and an international
consortium formed by VTEL Holdings Indian company and Knightsbridge
Associates (said to be backed by a well known Armenian entrepreneur)
will become the new owners of ArmenTel’s 90% stocks, reported
ComNews Russian news agency with a reference to a source close to the
negotiations and tender proceedings. The Russian holding will own the
PSTN while the Indian-Armenian consortium will obtain the cellular
communication. These are the results of the tender announced by OTE
Greek company, the owner of ArmenTel 90% stocks.
"OTE promised to publish the outcomes of the tender late July or early
August. Anyway System will be the winner but to all appearance it will
have to share ArmenTel with VTEL Holdings/Knightsbridge Associates,"
the source said. System’s PR Officer Irina Potekhina neither refuted
not confirmed the information. In her words, the results will be
known in early August.
According to ComNews the tender was marginally provoked by Altimo
Russian company, which offered $360 million for ArmenTel’s
90% stockshare. However OTE considered the sum as a starting
point. "Atlimo’s mistake was that it listed the support of an
official of the Armenian government and thought it’s enough," the
source said. It should be noted that OTE is not empowered to sell its
stocks without the consent of the Armenian government, which owns 10
percent of the stocks.
To note, Deutsche Telekom, TeliaSonera and Tele2 Swedish companies and
CBOSS (Russia), who also wished to purchase ArmenTel’s stocks failed
in the first round. "The price is not a decisive issue for OTE. It
highlights political motives. These companies might have proposed a
greater sum that System has," the source supposed, ComNews says.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
