MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Sberbank is not negotiating with the Austria’s Raiffeisenbank on assets swap, Sberbank CEO Herman Gref said at a press conference following the annual meeting of shareholders of Sberbank.
"Raiffeisen? I don't know anything about it. As always, [these are] speculations. A lot of rumors have been launched. But such negotiations were not conducted and are not being conducted now," he said.
Earlier media reported that the Austrian group Raiffeisen Bank International is developing an asset swap plans with Sberbank. In particular Der Standard reported referring to the material by the Falter weekly, that as a result of the transaction, Sberbank may receive Raiffeisen assets in Russia, and the Austrian group in return - assets of the Russian bank in Austria. The Austrian banking group called the possibility of an asset swap deal with Sberbank a "theoretical consideration."