- Eastern Europe: The French daily Le Figaro Economie announces in its "chronique des privatisations" several operations under way in this part of Europe. The following operations are announced: - Poland: i) Sale of 20% to 25% of the capital of insurance firm PZU and of the majority of the capital of the KOMERCNI BANKA; ii) After attribution this summer to a consortium made up of FRANCE TELECOM and a private Polish group, for the sum of $4.3 billion, of 35% of the capital of the telephone operator TPSA (25% for FRANCE TELECOM and 10% for KULCZYK HOLDING), the consortium's share should be increased to 45% in July 2001 and to 51% at the end of 2001. Also, with the 35% shareholding of ACCOR in the hotel chain ORBIS, France becomes the largest investor in Poland; iii) oil company PKN has placed a further tranche (26%) of its capital on the international market which, given the first tranche (30%) in 1999, makes it private by a majority. - Hungary: i) DEUTSCHE TELEKOM has acquired the stake held by its American SBC associate in the telecommunications operator MATEV for the sum of $2.2 billion, bringing its total investment to 59%; ii) the Hungarian government is to make a call for bids for the privatisation of the airline company TAROM. - The Czech Republic: The Czech Republic plans block privatisation of the electricity company CEZ, whose value is estimated at $1.7 billion. - Slovakia: i) The Slovak government is to launch a call for bids for three public banks (SSB, VUB and BS); ii) DEUTSCHE TELEKOM has acquired, for the sum of $990 million, 51% of the capital of telecommunications operator SLOVAKIA-TELEKOM. - Bulgaria: The control of BULBANK has been sold for the sum of EUR 360 million to a consortium grouping UNICREDITO and ALLIANZ (see EI of 18 July). - Baltic States: UNICREDITO and the Polish bank PEKAO are to take over the control, for the sum of $20 million, of the third Lithuanian bank (see EI of 7 June). - Russia: i) The privatised oil group TNK is to acquire 85% of the capital of the public company ONAKO; ii) the Russian State is to sell on the international market, before end 2000, its residual shareholding in the oil company LUKOIL (4.5% of the capital for an amount between $600 and 650 million); iii) INTERROS (POTANINE group) is to merge ROSBANK and ONEXIMBANK; iv) GAZPROM announces minority but significant stakes in the Hungarian and Ukrainian petrochemicals sectors; - Ukraine: The government is to put up for sale 25% of the operator, UKRTELEKOM. In addition, BNP - PARIBAS and DEUTSCHE BANK are to put an end to their joint shareholdings in common subsidiaries in the countries of Eastern Europe.