Norske Skog Seals Major Newsprint Delivery Agreement in Europe

Oslo, Norway, 13 November 2007 -- Norske Skog has entered into a long-term delivery agreement for newsprint with the British media group News International Limited.

Norske Skog Skogn will be the primary paper supplier for the agreement. The agreement amounts to a significant share of the mill’s annual production capacity.

New International is the British company of News Corporation, part of Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate. The group publishes some of the most prestigious newspapers in Britain, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, including "The Sun," "The Times," "The Sunday Times," "News of The World," and the free newspaper "thelondonpaper."

“This is a very important agreement for the Norske Skog group and we are happy for this confirmation of our position as the preferred supplier of newsprint to the most influential media players. This is a ground-breaking agreement for Norske Skog in the European newsprint market. This gives us the opportunity to cooperate even closer with the customer and thus intensify the effort to reduce costs in the value chain,” says CEO Christian Rynning-Tonnesen.

Environmental concerns are important to both News Corporation and Norske Skog. Jointly the parties will seek solutions that address environmentally friendly performance.

One initiative involves delivering a significant percentage of the paper to News International on reusable and recyclable cores.

The News Corporation’s newspaper division is one of Norske Skog’s largest global customers. Norske Skog has long been one of News Corporation’s main suppliers in England, Ireland, and the USA, as well as in Australasia, where it also has a long-term delivery agreement.