Paris (AFP)
The board of directors of Suez could receive the CEO of Veolia if certain conditions were met, specified its president Philippe Varin in an interview with Le Figaro published on Monday, while Veolia promised for this week a proposal likely to be released "by the top "of the conflict with Suez.
"Veolia must offer a price well above 18 euros per Suez share; on the other hand, its social commitments must cover a period of four years, and also concern the group's employees outside France; finally Veolia must agree to perpetuate a specialist leader capable of supporting R&D with a global reach, "recalls Mr. Varin.
The president of Suez sets a fourth condition, in addition to the three above already stated: "If Antoine Frérot came to the Suez council to present his point of view, it would be legitimate and essential that the converse be true, and that we were going to present our reaction to his project in front of Veolia's board ".
"It is only under these conditions that we will be able to enter a phase of negotiations and find a common path between Suez and Veolia", he insists.
The two brothers, enemies of water and waste, have been engaged in a war by all means since Veolia bought 29.9% of Suez from Engie in October.
Veolia has since launched a hostile takeover bid on the rest of the shares to create a French giant in environmental services.
Last episode of this conflict: Veolia warned on Sunday that it would initiate legal proceedings against the directors of Suez who would authorize the sale of the group's strategic assets.
"We have obviously received expressions of interest in some of our assets and this well before the takeover bid", indicates Philippe Varin.
"Bird names and verbal excesses, again this weekend from Veolia, do not mask the weakness of the arguments," he still regrets.
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