PKN Orlen to buy Autostrada Wielkopolska from Orbis

PKN Orlen is to pay zl. 61.4 million to Orbis for its 9.22% stake in Autostr ada Wielkopolska (AW). On Friday the two companies signed official documents for the sale to the fuel potentate of shares in AWSA Holland II BV, the only partner of AWSA Holland I BV, which controls 98.85% of AW. Under the deal, Orbis will hand over to PKN the shares it bought from Kulczyk Hold ing for zl. 42 million in 1998. Kulczyk's total share in AW is 33.85%. PKN O lren And Kulczyk Holding have also signed a separate contract under which th e latter would buy Orlen's stake in AW at any time before the end of 2006. AWSA Holland II BV is the owner of a license to construct two secti ons of the A2 Berlin -Warsaw highway. According to the firm, the first part of the contract - 148.9km between Nowy Tomy l and Konin is to be completed b y the end of 2004, but the completion date of the second (104.9km between Świecko and Nowy Tomy l) is unknown. (Rzeczpospolita, 16-17 Oct., p. B2) J.K.