Finnish concern to buy leading arms producer

The Defense Ministry has officially informed that Finnish Patria intends to buy the Military Equipment Plant (WZM) in Siemianowice Śląskie. The Ministry has also announced that due to nature of the confidential negotiations it c ould not reveal any more precise information. Factory director Grzegorz Prz erwa told the Polish Press Agency that the firm needed about three months to present all the necessary documents for privatization to the State Treasury. Only after concluding these legal proceedings, the company could be privati zed. "Patria has a dozen plants in its structure. Our direct partner is Pat ria Vehicles," said Przerwa. Last year WZM in consortium with Patria won a tender to deliver armor vehicles to the Polish army. "Naturally we confirm that we are conducting negotiations and that we are seriously interested in the privatization of the plant in Siemianowice, but we cannot reveal any fu rther details," said Satu Palm, deputy president of Patria. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) M.M.