Reference is made to previous stock exchange notices regarding the merger of
Sparebanken Vest and Sparebanken Sør.

The merger between Sparebanken Vest and Sparebanken Sør has today been
registered in the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises and thus completed.
Sparebanken Vest is the acquiring bank, and in connection with the merger, the
bank is changing its new name to Sparebanken Norge. 

At the same time, an increase in equity capital of NOK 1,497,358,850 has been
registered through issuing a total of 59,895,314 new equity capital certificates
as consideration for the equity capital in Sparebanken Sør, each with a nominal
value of NOK 25 and at a subscription price of NOK 89.1 per equity capital
certificate. All equity capital certificate have been issued to the existing
equity certificate holders in Sparebanken Sør. Of these, 15,383,401 equity
capital certificates have been issued to Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebanken Sør.
The remaining equity capital certificates have been issued to the other owners
in Sparebanken Sør.

Following the issuance of new equity capital certificates, the total equity
capital will amount to NOK 4,240,412,500 divided into 169,616,500 equity capital
certificates, each with a nominal value of NOK 25.

Contact persons:
CEO: Jan Erik Kjerpeseth, tel.: +47 951 98 430
CFO: Hans Olav Ingdal, tel.: +47 948 09 328

This information is disclosed pursuant to the requirements of the Securities
Trading Act § 5-12.