What is the latest news on the merger between Fimat and Calyon [see FO Week Vol 12 No 2]?
Patrice Blanc: As we said last month, we signed an MOU with Calyon on 7 January. It's a non-binding agreement for the time being so we are now in the process of due diligence on both sides, which actually started this week. That's going to last I suppose until April or May, then we should be able to sign a definitive agreement by early July and the closing of the transaction should happen hopefully by around the
middle of the fourth quarter.
What has it been like to run Fimat with the awareness of that process? Has it affected what you can do with the business?
PB: There have not been many changes with regard to running the business on a day-to-day basis. For the time being Fimat is acting...