Telecommunication giant, Orange, has acquired additional nine per cent share capital in Moroccan operator, Méditel, raising their stake to 49 per cent.

Fipar-Holding (the Moroccan Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion group), FinanceCom and Orange, signed the final documentation earlier today, increasing Orange's interest in Méditel, the Moroccan telecommunications operator, in application of the agreements they signed in December 2010.

With this new deal, the Board of Directors of Méditel is expected to be composed of five members proposed by Orange and four members appointed by the Moroccan shareholders and as a result, The Company will now be fully consolidated in the financial statements of the Orange group.

The transaction, which has already received the necessary authorisations from the public authorities and the regulator, illustrates Orange’s development strategy outside Europe and supports the Group’s ambition to reinforce its presence in Africa and Middle East.