LJUBLJANA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian government decided on Thursday to suspend the procedure to sell the nation's largest bank Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB), due to the disagreement with the minimum offer price for the NLB share.
"In its capacity as the general meeting of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding, the government decided it disagreed with the minimum offer price at 55 euros per NLB share and the offer price range of between 55 and 71 euros a share," Slovenian Press Agency (STA) quoted a press release issued after the cabinet session.
The government has tasked Finance Minister Mateja Vranicar Erman to notify the European Commission of the decision and to examine together with the stakeholders the possibilities of alternative measures, Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said after the decision made late Thursday afternoon.
Slovenia pledged to sell 75 percent of NLB minus one share in exchange for the European Commission approving state aid for the bank in late 2013. The country reached an agreement with the commission earlier this year to sell at least 50 percent of the bank by the end of this year and the rest by the end of 2018.
In a brief message on Thursday the European Commission said it was in constructive discussion with the Slovenian authorities, adding it could not say anything more at this point, said the STA.
