Russia's VimpelCom and Golden Telecom Ponder Merger

Vimpel-Communications and Golden Telecom, both Russian carriers, confirmed that they currently are in discussions regarding the potential acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Golden Telecom by a subsidiary of VimpelCom at a price per share of $105 in cash.



The VimpelCom Group includes companies operating in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia. The VimpelCom Group's GSM and 3G license portfolio covers a territory with a population of about 250 million across Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia.



Golden Telecom, is a facilities-based provider of integrated telecommunications and Internet services in major population centers throughout Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It operates metropolitan overlay networks in major cities including Moscow, Kiev, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk, Almaty, and Tashkent, and intercity fiber optic and satellite-based networks.

http://www.vimpelcom.com

http://www.goldentelecom.com