The Croatian food concern Agrokor would not comment on Thursday on announcements that London's ING bank would be collecting by 5 October non-binding offers for a 50.03 per cent stake in the Slovenian retail chain Mercator.
"We don't know which direction the process will take, so we can't comment on it," Agrokor said.
The news that ING will be collecting offers for Mercator was carried by the Slovenian media today. The bank has been chosen as consultant in a new collection of non-binding offers for a strategic partner in Slovenia's biggest retail chain.
According to the STA news agency, a source at ING said non-binding offers had been requested from everyone who had made them in earlier tenders, including from Agrokor.
STA said the collection of offers had already begun for the purchase of more than 50 per cent of Mercator stock owned by banks and the Pivovarna Lasko brewery, to last until October 5, which was also confirmed by ING.
In the previous tender for a 23.34 per cent stake in Mercator called by the brewery, Agrokor made the best price offer but it was rejected and a decision was made to call a new tender.
