Nokia Will Have ‘Larger Presence' in France After Alcatel-Lucent Merger, CEO Tells French President
In a statement that made only vague reference to the Paris terrorist attacks, Nokia said its CEO Rajeev Suri met Monday with French President François Hollande “to reiterate Nokia's strong involvement in the development of the technology and digital ecosystem…
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in France.” The meeting followed Nokia’s recent offer to merge with Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia said in the Monday statement. The combined entity “would be an innovation leader in next generation technology and services for an IP connected world,” Nokia said. "I was honored to be able to reiterate Nokia's support for France to President Hollande in our meeting today,” the statement quoted Suri as saying. “The values of France are far stronger than those who pose a threat to the country and I could see that in the resolve and determination of the President,” he said. “Nokia will not just be a larger part of the technology ecosystem in the country in the future, but a larger presence in France overall. Once the proposed transaction with Alcatel-Lucent closes, we will have thousands of employees in France, many of them engaged in cutting-edge research and development."