VimpelCom Ltd CEO Alexander Izosimov (pictured) is confident that shareholders will approve its plans to merge with Wind Telecom next week – but ruled out any further large-scale acquisitions for the foreseeable future. “If the transaction closes, then we’ll most likely be off the international M&A market for a couple of years,” Izosimov told Bloomberg, but added: “we cannot rule out in-market acquisitions because those almost instantly create value and there is no dispute about the synergies.” VimpelCom’s shareholders are due to vote a week tomorrow (17 March) on plans to release the extra 630 million shares needed to complete its US$6.5 billion tie-up with Naguib Sawiris’ Wind. Despite opposition to the deal from Telenor – VimpelCom’s second-largest shareholder (39 percent) – Izosimov is confident the vote will go his way. “The transaction will go through, with a high level of probability,” he said.

While Izosimov said VimpelCom was not – as has been rumoured – interested in the Serbian government’s sale of a majority stake in Telekom Srbija, he said a newly-merged VimpelCom/Wind would look at in-market consolidation in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, “where you have six or seven players.” Telenor is the largest operator in Bangladesh (via its Grameenphone arm) and the second-largest in Pakistan. “I wouldn’t even rule out Italy [where Wind is present],” he said. “I would be open to consider acquisitions there both on the mobile and fixed side.” Izosimov said the operator would also look at acquiring small operators in Russia in a bid to expand its presence in its domestic market.