France Telecom say that they have not begun any arrangements to buy it but that TeliaSonera is in a friendly relationship with them.
France Telecom shares dropped 2.01% to 19.46 euros in morning trading in Paris, after the news got out, which means it is currently the main stock index's biggest loser.
France Telecom finance director, Gervais Pellissier, explained that the company would probably pay for a very big deal the size of TeliaSonera with a combination of money and stock, and he added that France Telecom would stick to its cash dividend policy, although he cautioned that it might miss debt targets.
