Mittal may accept minority stake in Arcelor

Mittal Steel is prepared to take a minority stake in European rival Arcelor, which wants to merge with Russian steel giant Severstal, Mittal's European Chief Roeland Baan said in newspaper interview. Baan said the firm would still pursue Arcelor shares, even if the Severstal deal was completed. “It could well be that we, in the end, have 40 percent of shares in the combined Arcelor and Severstal group,” he said. “With more than 20 percent we would be able to call an Arcelor's shareholders' meeting at any time.”