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Sweden says has 9 banks involved in privatisation

Thu Feb 22, 2007 8:24am EST

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HELSINKI, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Sweden has signed up nine banks to handle its privatisation programme and will cooperate with Finland on plans to sell the Swedish state's stake in telecom group TeliaSonera (TLSN.ST), a minister said on Thursday.

"We already have nine investment banks that have agreements with us," Sweden's Financial Markets Minister Mats Odell told reporters, when asked if Sweden has put out a tender for banks to get involved in the process.

"These agreements are expiring in October this year so we are in the process of making new agreements and they will be ready in October," he said.

Odell also said Sweden was looking for a strategic partner for TeliaSonera as a way of reducing state ownership.

Odell and Finnish Minister for Trade and Industry Mauri Pekkarinen told a news conference their governments would be in close contact about Sweden's stake in TeliaSonera.

"We have said that we will have close cooperation with each other, we will discuss and try to find a mutual understanding," Odell said.

Sweden has a 45.3 percent stake in TeliaSonera, while Finland owns 13.7 percent.

The centre-right Swedish government plans to go parliament next week with a proposal for the sale of stakes in several listed firms and shares in some wholly state-owned companies.

Along with TeliaSonera, it already has parliamentary permission to sell stakes in stock exchange owner OMX OMX.ST and bank Nordea (NDA.ST).

It also wants approval to sell Absolut vodka maker Vin och Spirit, property firm Vasakronan and home loans firm SBAB.

Pekkarinen said Finland was planning to reduce slightly its ownership in listed firms, but the government has repeatedly said it will hang on to its strategic majorities in national airline Finnair (FIA1S.HE), energy firm Neste Oil (NES1V.HE) and utility Fortum (FUM1V.HE).

((Reporting by Sami Torma, editing by Rex Merrifield/David Cowell; Helsinki newsroom; tel +358-9-680 50244, fax +358-9-680 2284, news@reuters.fi)) Keywords: SWEDEN PRIVATISATION/BANKS Keywords: SWEDEN PRIVATISATION/BANKS

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