- Central and Eastern Europe: Le Figaro économie has published a timetable of privatisations already accomplished, in progress and in the planning stages in different Central and Eastern European states: - Czech Republic: i) after the takeover by the Austrian savings banks group ERSTE of 52% of the capital (EUR 500 million) of CESKA SPORITELNA, the privatisation of the country's leading bank, KOMERCNI BANKA, is announced for this year; ii) CESKE RADIO KOMUNIKACE will be privatised this year, with DEUTSCHE TELEKOM as the likely buyer; iii) also to be privatised this year, the regional gas and electricity distribution companies in Czech Republic and the state-owned oil holding company UNIPETROL; - Slovakia: i) KOMMUNAL BANK, the leading bank for local authorities, will be taken over soon by the Franco-Belgian group DEXIA and Austria's KOMMUNAL KREDIT; ii) the fixed telephony operator SLOVAK TELEKOM will be privatised soon; iii) DALKIA (French group VIVENDI) will be taking over the principal Slovak heat distribution company in Bratislava; - Croatia: the country plans to privatise this year the regional banks SPLIT (with the Italian bank INTESA as likely buyer) and RIJEKA (in which the German bank BALABA is interested) - Poland: privatisations totalled USD 3.3 billion in 1999, as against 1.7 billion in 1998, and a total of 5 billion is expected for 2000. The government is considering the following operations: i) after VIVENDI increased its stake in ELEKTRIM TELEKOM to 49% (at a cost of USD 1.2 billion), this month a 35% stake in the telecoms operator will be sold to a strategic investor; ii) the government has announced the privatisation of electricity generation and distribution and of the national gas company PKN -POLSKI KONCERN NAFTOWY- following last year's sale of a minority share; iii) the Swedish electricity company VATTENFALL will be buying the principal electricity distributor in the Warsaw area (USD 200 million); - Bulgaria: i) the Russian oil firm LUKOIL has bought a 58% controlling share in the refinery NEFTOCHIM for USD 100 million and has agreed to invest another 400 million; ii) 51% of BULGARIA TELEKOM will be sold for USD 500 million to the consortium made up of OTE (Greece) and KPN (Netherlands); - Russia: i) 9% of LUKOIL has been sold for USD 200 million to a Cypriot group; the Russian state will be keeping an 18% stake and the American firm ARCO owns 9%; ii) a minority share in the telecommunications holding SVIAZINVEST will be sold soon; - Romania: After raising USD 0.8 billion with major operations in 1999, the Romanian government has announced a programme for 2000 that could bring in 1.7 billion. The programme comprises: i) the sale of 51% of the airline TAROM to a strategic investor; ii) the upcoming privatisation of the oil company PETROM and the regional gas and electricity distribution companies formed after the dismantling of the electricity monopoly CONEL and the gas monopoly ROMGAZ; iii) the sale of shares in SIDEX (steel) and ALPRO (aluminium foundry) - Latvia: 25% of the national gas company will be put up for sale; - Estonia: two thirds of the national railway will be sold.