Russia's Norilsk Nickel said that it had received an offer for some of its Australian assets and that it planned to proceed with plans to divest them.

Mr Vladimir Strzhalkovsky CEO of Norilsk Nickel said that "Part of Australian assets we are preparing for sale, part we will keep. There are gold mines there. We are not pressed for time. We will not let anything pressure us."

Norilsk Nickel has said that it may sell some international assets, including a US palladium mine and underperforming nickel assets in Australia as it streamlines its overseas operations.

Mr Strzhalkovsky also said that Norilsk Nickel had no plans to sell its African mines. He also told journalists that he expected palladium prices to rise, while copper and nickel prices remain stable.

Meanwhile, Norilsk Nickel's board has recommended a 2009 dividend payout of USD 1.3 billion.

(Sourced from www.reuters.com)