Eesti Ühispank part of the SEB Group

Eesti Ühispank part of the SEB Group At the end of the offer period, SEB had reached 95.1 per cent of shares in Eesti Ühispank. It is thus clear that Ühispank will be a full member of the SEB Group. The full inclusion of Eesti Ühispank into the SEB Group will give bank customers in Estonia access to the services of an international banking group. Ühispank can, through SEB, better support cross-border business in the Nordic countries, Germany and the rest of Europe. "Ühispank will gain from SEB's long and deep experience in banking but Ühispank will also contribute with its competence to the Group, such as knowledge of the Baltic markets and Ühispank's strong experience of e- banking. This merger is another sign of the speedy development of Nordic- Baltic business relations and also of Estonia's ability to attract foreign investment", says Lars Thunell, President and SEB Group Chief Executive. "I strongly believe that SEB's presence is of benefit to bank clients, small and large, as well as to Estonia's ambition to integrate its economy with the European", says Lars Thunell. SEB intends to retain the management and local profile of Ühispank in order to utilise the bank's strong standing in a growing market with a lot of growth companies. Settlement for shares tendered during the acceptance period is expected to take place on 27 October 2000. SEB intends to apply for a delisting of Ühispank shares from the Tallinn, Helsinki, Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges. SEB is a major shareholder in three Baltic banks; Esti Ühispank with 384,900 customers, 61,200 e-banks customers and 65 branch offices in Estonia, Latvijas Unibanka with 318,600 customers, 19,000 e-banks customers and 70 branch offices in Latvia and Vilniaus Bankas with 244,500 customers, 1,300 e-banks customers and 60 branch offices in Lithuania. SEB is a financial group focused on e-banking, savings and growth companies. The Group has approximately 20,000 employees and is represented in some 20 countries around the world. SEB has today approximately 630 retail and private banking branches, mainly in Sweden, Germany and the Baltic region and 689,000 e-banking customers in seven countries. During the current year SEB will start online brokerage service in Germany and e-banking in England. Read more about SEB: www.seb.net For further information, please contact Mats Kjaer, President SEB Baltic Holding +46 40 667 6101 Gunilla Åkerblom, Head of Communication SEB Baltic Holding +468 639 2607, 4670 547 0735 Lotta Treschow, Head of Investor Relations SEB +46 8 763 9559 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/10/24/20001024BIT01230/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/10/24/20001024BIT01230/bit0002.pdf