France Telecom Currently Has No Plans To Sell Romanian Operations

05.04.2011 By Bostan Radu

France Telecom-Orange announced Wednesday that it currently has no plans to sell its Romanian assets, after one of its managers said Tuesday that the group might give up some of its smaller operations, in countries such as Romania or Belgium.

France Telecom-Orange announced Wednesday that it currently has no plans to sell its Romanian assets, after one of its managers said Tuesday that the group might give up some of its smaller operations, in countries such as Romania or Belgium.

An official statement, issued Wednesday, said the group will review its portfolio in order to optimize its operational performance and create value in each country, as already mentioned by France Telecom CEO Stephane Richard in February.

This review could lead to sales, but at the same time, it could be the basis of consolidation projects, such as the joint-venture in the UK, the proposed merger in Switzerland, or the network sharing partnership in Poland and Austria, said the statement.

France Telecom Chief Financial Officer Gervais Pellissier said Tuesday that the group might consolidate or sell certain smaller European operations, in countries such as Austria, Belgium or Romania, and concentrate on areas where the telecom industry has a high growth potential, like Africa and the Middle East.

France Telecom is present on the Romanian market through Orange, the top local telecom player, by number of clients and turnover.