OREANDA-NEWS. VimpelCom Holdings B.V. (the “Company”) a wholly-owned subsidiary of VEON Ltd. (“VEON”) announced today that it commenced a cash tender offer (the “Offer”) for any and all of the outstanding (i) U.S.$1,000,000,000 9.125% Loan Participation Notes due 2018 issued by, but with limited recourse to, VIP Finance Ireland Limited (the “2018 Notes”), (ii) U.S.$1,000,000,000 7.748% Loan Participation Notes due 2021 issued by, but with limited recourse to, VIP Finance Ireland Limited (the “2021 Notes”) and (iii) U.S.$1,500,000,000 7.5043% Guaranteed Notes due 2022 issued by VimpelCom Holdings B.V. (the “2022 Notes” and together with the 2018 Notes and the 2021 Notes, the “Notes”).

The Offer is made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase dated today, which sets out a comprehensive description of the terms of the Offer.

The Company has separately announced today that it intends to offer new senior unsecured notes (the “New Notes” and the “New Notes Offering”). Completion of the Offer is subject to the successful completion (as determined by the Company at its sole discretion) of the New Notes Offering (the “Financing Condition”), as well as certain other conditions as set out in the Offer to Purchase.

The purpose of the Offer is to acquire any and all of the Notes, provided that the Financing Condition is satisfied, which will be funded principally by the issuance of the New Notes and would have the effect of extending the maturity profile of a portion of the VEON Group’s indebtedness. Notwithstanding the potential offering of New Notes, the Group may fund a portion of the Offer with available cash. Notes accepted for purchase by the Company pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled.

When allocating the New Notes to investors, the Company, among other factors, intends to look favourably upon investors that have validly tendered or indicated a firm intention to tender their Notes pursuant to the Offer. However, no assurances can be given that any holder of the Notes (each a “Holder” and together, the “Holders”) that tenders Notes will be given an allocation of New Notes at the levels it may subscribe for, or at all. Any allocation of the New Notes, while being considered by the Company as set out above, will be made in accordance with customary new issue allocation processes and procedures. For more information about the New Notes Offering, eligible Holders may contact Barclays Bank PLC at the contact details as set out below.  

Purchases of New Notes are subject to all applicable securities laws and regulations in force in any relevant jurisdiction. In particular, Holders must be qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or non-U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act in order to purchase New Notes.  For more information, please refer to the Offer to Purchase.

Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes. No assurances can be given that the Company will in fact complete the New Notes Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that a Holder validly tenders Notes pursuant to the Offer, then such Offer to Sell will still remain valid irrespective of whether such Holder receives all, part or none of any allocation of New Notes for which it has applied.

The Offer will expire at 4.59 a.m., London time on 27 June 2017 (11.59 p.m. New York time on 26 June 2017), unless extended, re-opened or earlier terminated by the Company in its sole discretion (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the “Expiration Time”). Holders of Notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Notes at or prior to 10.00 p.m., London time (5.00 p.m. New York time), on 12 June 2017 (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the “Early Tender Time”) to be eligible to receive the Early Tender Purchase Price (defined below). Holders of Notes who validly tender their Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time will only be eligible to receive the applicable Final Purchase Price (defined below) for their Notes.

The applicable Early Tender Purchase Price will be payable after the Early Tender Time (the date of such payment, the “Early Payment Date”). The Early Payment Date is currently expected to be 19 June 2017.

The applicable Final Purchase Price will be payable promptly following the Expiration Date (the date of such payment, the “Final Payment Date”). The Final Payment Date is currently expected to be 29 June 2017.

The “Early Tender Purchase Price” payable for each U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of 2018 Notes, 2021 Notes and 2022 Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Time/Withdrawal Time and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer is set out in the table below. Holders will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes (“Accrued Interest”) from and including the last interest payment date applicable to such Notes to, but not including, the Early Payment Date with respect to any such 2018 Notes, 2021 Notes and 2022 Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Offer.

The “Final Purchase Price” payable for each U.S.$1,000 in principal amount of 2018 Notes, 2021 Notes and 2022 Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer is set out in the table below. Holders will also receive Accrued Interest applicable to such Notes to, but not including, the Final Payment Date with respect to any such 2018 Notes, 2021 Notes and 2022 Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Offer.

Notes tendered before the Early Tender Time may be validly withdrawn by delivery of a withdrawal instruction that is received by the Tender Agent at any time before 10.00 p.m., London time (5:00 p.m. New York time), on 12 June 2017, unless extended by the Company in its sole discretion (the “Withdrawal Time”), but not thereafter. Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time may not be withdrawn.

Title of Security

  

ISINs

  

CUSIP

  

Maturity Date

  

Principal Amount Outstanding(3)

  

Early Tender Purchase Price(1)

  

Final Purchase Price(2)

U.S.$1,000,000,000 9.125% Loan Participation Notes issued by VIP Finance Limited (the 2018 Notes)

  

US918242AB40 (Rule 144A)/
XS0361041808 (Reg S)

  

918242 AB4

  

30 April 2018

  

U.S.$499,149,000

  

U.S.$1,070.00

  

U.S.$1,040.00

U.S.$1,000,000,000 7.748% Loan Participation Notes issued by VIP Finance Ireland Limited (the 2021 Notes)

  

US918242AD06 (Rule 144A)/
XS0587031096 (Reg S)

  

918242 AD0

  

2 February 2021

  

U.S.$650,570,000

  

U.S.$1,151.25

  

U.S.$1,121.25

U.S.$1,500,000,000 7.5043% Guaranteed Notes issued by VimpelCom Holdings B.V. (the 2022 Notes)

  

US92718WAB54 (Rule 144A)/
XS0643183220 (Reg S)

  

92718W AB5

  

1 March 2022

  

U.S.$1,280,023,000

  

U.S.$1,156.25

  

U.S.$1,126.25

Notes:

  1. Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Time (as defined herein) and accepted for purchase. Does not include Accrued Interest (as defined herein), which will be paid on all Notes accepted for purchase.
  2. Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time and at or prior to the Expiration Time and accepted for purchase. Does not include Accrued Interest (as defined herein), which will be paid on all Notes accepted for purchase.
  3. Aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding as at the date of this announcement.

The Offer is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, including the Financing Condition. The complete terms and conditions of the Offer, including the procedures for participating in the Offer, are set forth in the Offer to Purchase, dated 30 May 2017. Holders of the Notes are urged to read the Offer to Purchase carefully before making any decision with respect to the Offer.

Indicative Timetable for the Offer:

Events

 

Times and Dates

Commencement of Offer Period:

   

Commencement of the Offer upon the terms and subject to the Offer Conditions set out in the Offer to Purchase.

 

30 May 2017

Early Tender Time: 

   

The last time for Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Offer in order to receive the applicable Early Tender Purchase Price.

 

12 June 2017, 10:00 p.m. London time (5:00 p.m. New York time)

Withdrawal Time:

   

The last time that Holders may validly withdraw any Notes previously tendered. 

 

12 June 2017, 10:00 p.m. London time (5:00 p.m. New York time)

Announcement of the principal amount of Notes of each series validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer as at the Early Tender Time:

 

13 June 2017, at or around 9:00 a.m. London time (4:00 a.m. New York time)

Announcement of the expected satisfaction of the Financing Condition:

 

14 June 2017

Early Payment Date:

 

Expected to be 19 June 2017

Expiration Time:

   

The last time for Holders to tender Notes pursuant to the Offer in order to receive the applicable Final Purchase Price.

 

27 June 2017, 4:59 a.m. London time (26 June 2017, 11:59 p.m. New York time)

Announcement of final results of the Offer and the principal amount of Notes of each series accepted for purchase:

 

27 June 2017

Final Payment Date:

 

Promptly after the Expiration Time, and expected to be 29 June 2017

The Company reserves the right to extend the Offer with respect to the Notes, if necessary, so that the Expiration Time occurs upon or shortly after the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Offer.

The Company has retained Barclays Bank PLC, Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited and Merrill Lynch International (together, the “Dealer Managers”) to serve as the dealer managers and Lucid Issuer Services Limited to serve as the tender agent (the “Tender Agent”) for the Offer.

Requests for documents may be directed to the Tender Agent, Lucid Issuer Services Limited, at (Telephone: +44 20 7704 0880; Email: veon@lucid-is.com). Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to Barclays Bank PLC, at (Telephone: (800) 438-3242 (toll free) or (212) 528-7581 (collect) within the U.S. and +44 20 3134 8515 outside the U.S.; Email: veon.tender@barclays.com); Credit Suisse Securities (Europe) Limited, at (Telephone: (800) 820-1653 (toll free) or (212) 538-2147 (collect) within the U.S. and +44 20 7883 8763 / +44 20 7888 9350 outside the U.S.; Email: liability.management@credit-suisse.com); or Merrill Lynch International, at (Telephone: (888) 292-0070 (toll free) or (980) 388-3646 (collect) within the U.S. and +44 20 7996 5240 outside the U.S.; Email: DG.LM_EMEA@baml.com). This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell with respect to the Notes, nor is this announcement an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy or an offer to purchase or sell any securities. The Offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and only in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company considers portions of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase and the documents incorporated by reference in the Offer to Purchase to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “should”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “continue” or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions at the time made, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will be achieved. Future events and actual results, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, possible changes in the timing and consummation of the Offer. Holders are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and the Offer to Purchase speak only as of the date of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase. The Company does not undertake to publicly update, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws, any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after such dates or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Holders should, however, consult any further disclosures of a forward-looking nature made in the documents incorporated by reference to the Offer to Purchase.

OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS

Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase constitutes an invitation to participate in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws. The distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are required by the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Tender Agent to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.