TeliaSonera says to buy mobile player MCT Corp

The Nordic region’s top telecom operator, Swedish-Finnish TeliaSonera , said on Monday it reached a deal to buy US-based MCT Corp., which has stakes in mobile operators in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The firm said in a statement the transaction is expected to close by the third quarter.

MCT has controlling shareholdings in Uzbek-US joint venture Coscom LLC -- Uzbekistan’s third-largest mobile operator -- and CJSC Indigo Tajikistan and CJSC joint venture Somoncom, which combined is the number two mobile operator in Tajikistan. It also holds 12.25% of Telecom Development Company Afghanistan (Roshan), Afghanistan’s largest mobile player.

TeliaSonera did not disclose financial details of the deal.