Extension of MeritaNordbanken's offer to purchase the shares of Christiania Bank

Extension of MeritaNordbanken's offer to purchase the shares of Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse to 31 March 2000 MeritaNordbanken is extending its offer to purchase the entire share stock of Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse at a price of NOK 44 per share. The offer will remain in force until 17.00 on 31.3.2000. The offer is extended in anticipation of the guidelines determining the Norwegian government's ownership of Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse in conformity with the Stortinget resolution of December 1999. MeritaNordbanken's offer to Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse was initially scheduled to expire at 17.00 on 29.10.1999 and was gradually extended until 17.00 on 3.3.2000. The rationale behind MeritaNordbanken's offer is its ambition to create, with the assistance of Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse, the leading financial services group in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions, based on decentralised and strong national banks within easy reach of customers both locally and through the world's leading Internet banking solutions. The Board of Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse, its management and employees have recommended shareholders to accept the offer which is right from an industrial standpoint and financially fair. Further information: Markku Pohjola, Executive Vice President, +358 9 165 422 45 Lars Thalén, Senior Vice President, Corporate identity and Communications, +46 8 614 79 51, +46 709 200 665 Not for distribution in Australia, U.S.A., Japan and Canada ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/01/20000301BIT01020/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/03/01/20000301BIT01020/bit0002.pdf