European Goldfields : ELD & EGU Receive Positive Merger Recommendations
02/08/2012 | 08:10am
ELDORADO GOLD CORPORATION AND EUROPEAN GOLDFIELDS LIMITED
ANNOUNCE RECOMMENDATION BY LEADING CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FIRMS
THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE MERGER
Vancouver, British Columbia and Whitehorse, Yukon - February
7, 2012: Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS") and
Glass Lewis & Co., LLC ("GL") have recommended that
shareholders vote FOR the merger of Eldorado
Gold Corporation ("Eldorado") (TSX: ELD, NYSE: EGO, ASX: EAU)
and European Goldfields Limited ("European Goldfields") (AIM:
EGU / TSX: EGU) to be considered at their respective special
meetings on February 21, 2012.
ISS and GL are leading independent international corporate
governance analysis and proxy voting firms. Their
recommendations assist shareholders in making decisions
regarding proxy voting.
ISS and GL made their recommendations that shareholders vote
FOR the merger based on their findings that the transaction
is financially fair to shareholders of both companies, the
strategic rationale is reasonable, market reaction has been
favourable and there are no significant governance
concerns.
Eldorado's Chief Executive Officer, Paul N. Wright, said "We
are pleased that both ISS and GL support our view that
shareholders should support the merger. We maintain our
commitment to strengthening performance and providing
superior returns for shareholders, which this transaction
will help us accomplish."
European Goldfields' President and Executive Chairman, Martyn
Konig, said, "The positive recommendations of ISS and GL
strengthen our belief that the consideration shareholders
will receive is fair, and that it is in their best interests
to vote FOR the merger with Eldorado."
Shareholders are reminded to vote their proxy FOR the Merger
before the respective proxy deadlines:
Eldorado Gold: Voting Deadline: Friday, February 17, 2012 at
9:00 AM (EST)
For more information and assistance in voting your proxy,
Eldorado shareholders are urged to contact Kingsdale
Shareholder Services Inc. at 1-877-657-5856 or by email at contactus@kingsdaleshareholder.com
.
European Goldfields: Voting Deadline: Friday, February 17,
2012 at 11:00 AM (EST)
For more information and assistance in voting your proxy,
European Goldfields shareholders are urged to contact Phoenix
Advisory Partners at North American Toll Free:
1-800-243-9416, United Kingdom Toll Free: +44 (0) 808
/101/1697 or Email: inquiries@phoenixadvisorypartners.com
.
If you have any questions regarding the deposit of your
European Goldfields shares to the Arrangement, European
Goldfields shareholders can contact Kingsdale Shareholder
Services Inc. at 1-877-657-5856 or by email at contactus@kingsdaleshareholder.com.
About Eldorado Gold
Eldorado is a gold producing, exploration and development
company actively growing businesses in Turkey, China, Brazil
and Greece. With our international expertise in mining,
finance and project development, together with highly skilled
and dedicated staff, we believe that our company is well
positioned to grow in value as we create and pursue new
opportunities.
About European Goldfields
European Goldfields is a developer-producer with globally
significant gold reserves located within the European Union.
The Company generates cash flow from its 95% owned Stratoni
operation, a high grade lead/zinc/silver mine in
North-Eastern Greece.
ON BEHALF OF ON BEHALF OF
ELDORADO GOLD CORPORATION EUROPEAN GOLDFIELDS LIMITED
"Paul N. Wright" "Martyn Konig"
Paul N. Wright Martyn Konig
President and Chief Executive Officer Executive Chairman and
President
None of the securities anticipated to be issued pursuant to
the Arrangement have been or will be registered under the
United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S.
Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and any
securities issued in the Arrangement are anticipated to be
issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such
registration requirements pursuant to Section 3(a) (10) of
the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state
securities laws. This press release does not constitute an
offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
securities.
"Certain of the statements made herein may contain
forward-looking statements or information within the meaning
of applicable Canadian and US securities laws.
Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but
are not limited, to statements or information with respect to
the announced recommendation in connection with the merger of
Eldorado Gold Corporation and European Goldfields.
Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by
their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may
cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the
Company to be materially different from any future results,
performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements or information. We have made
certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and
information, including assumptions about the ability to
achieve our goal of concluding this transaction. Even though
our management believes that the assumptions made and the
expectations represented by such statements or information
are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the
forward-looking statement or information will prove to be
accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks,
uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should
underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those
described in forward-looking statements or information. These
risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others,
the ability to satisfy the conditions of the transaction, as
well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled
"Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk
Factors" in the Company's information circular for
the meeting and its Annual Information Form & Form 40-F dated
March 31, 2011. There can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements or information will prove to be
accurate, as actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the
forward-looking statements or information contained herein.
Except as required by law, we do not expect to update
forward-looking statements and information continually as
conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion
of the Company's business contained in the
Company's reports filed with the securities regulatory
authorities in Canada and the U.S."
Other enquiries:
European Goldfields Liberum Capital Limited
Steve Sharpe, SVP Business Development Michael Rawlinson /
Tom Fyson
Email: info@egofields.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7408 9534
Brunswick BMO Capital Markets
Carol Cable / Fiona Micallef-Eynaud Egizio Bianchini / Gary
Mattan
Email: egoldfields@brunswickgroup.com
Tel: +1 (0) 416 359 4001
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7404 5959
Lazard & Co., Ltd
Spiro Youakim / Chris Seherr-Thoss
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7187 2000
For further information please see the European Goldfields
website at www.egoldfields.com
Contact:
Eldorado Gold Corporation
Nancy E. Woo, VP, Investor Relations
Phone: 604.601.6650 or 1.888.353.8166 1188, 550 Burrard
Street
Fax: 604.687.4026 Vancouver, BC V6C 2B5
Email: nancyw@eldoradogold.com Website:
www.eldoradogold.com
Request for information packages: reception@eldoradogold.com