Lazard

Greece's state-controlled bank bailout fund HFSF said on Monday it had launched a process to sell its 9% stake in Alpha Bank.

The Hellenic Financial Stability Fund (HFSF) last week received an offer from Unicredit for the stake as part of the Italian lender's plan to become Alpha Bank's biggest investor.

Greek Finance Minister Christos Staikouras will be heading to Paris on Tuesday on an official two-day visit to participate in an investment forum and attend an official dinner hosted by French senators in honor of the Greek delegation.

French company Lazard will be the new consultant of the Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA), replacing Rothschild, with the aim of bringing Greek bonds back to investment grade within the next couple of years.

This decision was reached on Wednesday by the government's Economic Policy Council on the recommendation of the PDMA and an opinion by the State Legal Council.

Greece's debt agency has proposed hiring US investment bank Lazard to advise the country on the management of its debt, a finance ministry official said on Wednesday.

Greece, which is emerging from a prolonged financial crisis, has the highest debt in the eurozone. [Reuters]

Vivacom, the largest Bulgarian revenue telecom, filed a complaint against the US giant Apple in the Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC), a notice posted on the regulator's website. The complaint of the home company is related to the iPhone's best-selling product of the US company. Upon request from Money.bg,

BELGRADE - The Serbian government is considering offering a 25-year concession for Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport, which would bring a 350-400 mln euro advance payment and a further 10-11 mln every year, PM Aleksandar Vucic said Friday.

A decision has not yet been made, but the government is closest to offering a concession, he said.

BELGRADE - The Serbian government is considering offering a 25-year concession for Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport, which would bring a 350-400 mln euro advance payment and a further 10-11 mln every year, PM Aleksandar Vucic said Friday.

A decision has not yet been made, but the government is closest to offering a concession, he said.

The 11th Annual Greek Roadshow, organized by the Athens Stock Exchange, is taking place in London with 27 of the largest Greek companies attending the three-day event. Participants get to meet with representatives of foreign funds at the facilities of the Bloomberg agency.

The offers of six companies for buying 58 percent of shares of state-owned telecommunications company Telekom Srbija have been opened at the government.

The offers are considered by the privatization consultant French company Lazard, and the government will decide on the best offer not only based on the price, but also the investment plan and social program.

Financial advisory firm Lazard told BIRN that it has not signed a strategic partnership deal with US investment fund Apollo Management, a potential buyer of Telekom Srbija, contrary to allegations in Serbian media.

"Lazard never formed a strategic partnership with Apollo," said Richard Creswell, Lazard senior vice-president at Lazard.