Five-year long Telenor-Vimeplcom dispute over
Jon Fredrik Baksaas. Photo: Telenor.
Norway’s Telenor Group and Russian Altimo have announced an agreement which ends a five-year long dispute. The two groups will suspend all their ongoing legal proceedings and combine their common assets in VimpelCom and Kyivstar to create a new leading mobile operator.
The parties have reached an agreement to combine their holdings in OJSC VimpelCom and Kyivstar into a new jointly-owned mobile telecoms operator, VimpelCom Ltd.
The united company will provide high-quality integrated mobile telecom services in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries, as well as Georgia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. VimpelCom Ltd. will seek to expand its operations in other rapidly developing markets in Europe, Asia and Africa, becoming one of the world’s leading players in the industry. VimpelCom Ltd. is incorporated in Bermuda, will be headquartered in the Netherlands and will be listed on the NYSE.
The parties have agreed to and take action to withdraw or settle them prior to the transaction being completed. The governance structure agreed for VimpelCom Ltd. is designed to significantly reduce the potential for new disputes between the shareholders.
Jon Fredrik Baksaas, President and CEO of Telenor Group, said: “Telenor is proud to take part in creating one of the most competitive and important players in the world of mobile communication. VimpelCom Ltd. will have ample opportunities for future growth and value creation for the benefit of all shareholders. We have turned a five-year struggle into an exciting venture for the future.
Alexei Reznikovich, CEO of Altimo, said: “Today is a truly historic day for our companies. We witness the appearance of a new star in the global telecom space. We are confident that this merger will substantially increase shareholder value of the new company.”
