Belgian, Dutch mail firms to confirm merger talks on Monday-Le Soir

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Belgian mail operator Bpost (BPOST.BR) is to announce on Monday it is to continue takeover talks with Dutch peer PostNL (PTNL.AS), with the blessings of the Belgian government, its majority owner, Belgian newspaper Le Soir said on Sunday.

Neither company has confirmed they are in talks. Trading in the shares of both companies were suspended on Friday "pending an announcement" after Le Soir first reported that the companies were in talks.

Le Soir's report on Sunday said that Monday's announcement would confirm the companies are in negotiations.

The paper said Bpost's supervisory board had met on Saturday and decided "to continue the process begun several weeks ago."

"The communique to be released before the start of trade (Monday) thus confirms, with the assent of the Belgian government, the will of the two parties to combine," Le Soir said.

The report added that an agreement would likely be a "matter of weeks, given that the obstacles have mostly been removed."

Bpost spokeswoman Barbara van Speybroeck and PostNL spokesman Dick Kors said on Sunday they could not confirm the contents of Le Soir's report but the companies would be issuing a statement before share markets open for trade on Monday.

Bpost's shares last traded at 24.325 euros on Friday, valuing the company at 4.87 billion euros ($5.3 billion), while PostNL shares last traded at 3.855 euros, valuing it at just over 1.7 billion euros, according to Thomson Reuters data.

($1 = 0.8998 euros)

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Greg Mahlich)