No talks on swapping Sberbank assets in EU for RBI assets in Russia are being conducted and none have been - Gref

MOSCOW. April 21 (Interfax) - There are no negotiations on the exchange of Sberbank's European assets for the Russian assets of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and there have not been any, Sberbank CEO German Gref said at a press conference on Friday.

"I don't know anything about this. As always, it's someone's invention, there has been all manner of gossip and rumors, but no such negotiations are underway and none have been conducted," Gref said.

RBI is in a theoretical discussion about a potential asset swap with Sberbank Europe AG, RBI CEO Johann Strobl said in March.

"We have accepted an invitation to present theoretical considerations for a potential asset swap, but this is still a theoretical discussion and there is nothing more to say about it," Strobl said at the RBI AGM.

The European Central Bank said at the end of February last year that Sberbank Europe AG was at risk of bankruptcy, along with its subdivisions in Croatia and Slovenia, due to liquidity problems amid the worsening of the geopolitical situation. As a result, it was decided to close Sberbank Europe - this is currently under liquidation - and to transfer the Croatian and Slovenian banks to local credit institutions. Sberbank is trying to challenge the decision in an EU court, but it is difficult to hope for a positive outcome in a tense geopolitical situation.

RBI has decided to spin off its Russian subsidiary, Raiffeisenbank, and is considering a sale.