Gov't commission postpones consideration of GE's acquisition of Alstom's Russian division
MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) - Russia's Government Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investment has postponed the consideration of a deal under which American General Electric will acquire the Russian division of France's Alstom.
"Alstom has a division in Russia, Alstom Grid. The question is being discussed of whether or not the commission authorizes the acquisition of this Russian company, an Alstom subsidiary, and whether GE will be able to gain control over Alstom in Russia now. The deal has been postponed and will be considered over the next two months," Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) chief Igor Artemyev said after a commission meeting headed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Artemyev added that Alstom Grid is the owner of an entire array of companies that operate on the Russian nuclear industry. This is why Alstom has to assess the possible consequences of the deal with Russian State Nuclear Energy Company Rosatom.
"Additional talks need to be held here - with the assumption that no particular concerns regarding this deal have been expressed. All the specifics need to be worked out for the national Russian nuclear industry," he said.