Bell withdraws offer to purchase shares in plane and helicopter maker

American aircraft producer Bell has withdrawn its offer to buy shares in Polish plane and helicopter manufacturer PZL Swidnik, citing as the main reason the lack of any guaranteed orders for Swidnik helicopters from the Polish government. According to Bell sources, buying a stake in the Polish company under these circumstances would entail too much risk. However, they did not rule out returning to the negotiating table if the government guaranteed the purchase of helicopters. According to Swidnik spokesman Jan Mazur, " We are counting on quick privatization, but if it is delayed we can wait." Last year the Polish company received a capital injection worth over zl.120 million in the form of shares in the state-controlled copper and silver mining group KGHM. In related news, Italian-American concern LMATTS, which in March was eliminated from the tender for transport planes for the Polish army because it had failed to secure the requisite certification, has been invited to resubmit its bid. The main competition is coming from Spanish aircraft producer CASA. (Prawo I Gospodarka, p.4; Rzeczpospolita, p.B1) J.K.