German phone carrier Deutsche Telekom's Hungarian unit Matav is looking at a bid for Montenegro's state phone company, which is being privatised, a German newspaper reported on Thursday.
"Matav is very interested in Telecom Montenegro," the head of Montenegro's privatisation agency, Zoran Sekulic, was quoted as saying in business daily Financial Times Deutschland.
Deutsche Telekom Chief Executive Kai-Uwe Ricke said last month the group was focusing on Eastern Europe for possible acquisitions as it seeks growth while its domestic market is sluggish.
It has made a bid for the 51 percent it does not already own in Poland's mobile operator PTC [PTC.UL] but talks bogged down last year. Analysts have said it could aim for similar deals, possibly bidding to buy out minorities in Matav or to buy the remaining 49 percent in Hrvatski Telekom from Croatia.
Deutsche Telekom also owns wireline and mobile assets in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia.
Source: Reuters
03.06.2004