Rio Tinto offer for Alcan: French Government approval received

04 October 2007

Rio Tinto has received approval from the French Government under the French foreign investment regulations for the proposed acquisition of Alcan by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto.

The approval was confirmed following a meeting between Christine Lagarde, French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Employment and Paul Skinner, chairman of Rio Tinto.

Receipt of this, and other regulatory clearances, is a condition to Rio Tinto's offer to acquire the outstanding shares in Alcan.
Following the meeting Paul Skinner said, "We have had a very constructive and positive dialogue with the French Government over the past two months.  During our discussions we underlined our strong, long-term commitment to France, which provides an attractive environment in which to invest, conduct business and engage in world leading R&D. The approval by the French government brings us a step closer to completion of the transaction, which we are aiming to achieve in the fourth quarter".

Rio Tinto announced on 28 September 2007 that it had received approval for the transaction from its shareholders.