The director of the Slovenian store chain Mercator, Ziga Debeljak, said on Wednesday talks had begun on a strategic linking with Croatian store chain Konzum and that the "preliminary talks" would continue in the next two to three weeks.
Debeljak told the press the talks were about the linking of the two chains and not about a tender through which Slovenian banks and other major shareholders from Slovenia intended to sell 50.03 per cent of Mercator's stock to a strategic partner.
Debeljak said it was agreed the public and the shareholders would be informed about Mercator's talks with the Croatian concern Agrokor, Konzum's owner, only if any agreement was reached.
Agrokor said last Friday that it had sent a memo to Mercator expressing its interest in linking Konzum and Mercator and beginning talks on the subject.
