Welcome to TeliaSonera’s Annual General Meeting 2012


Welcome to TeliaSonera’s Annual General Meeting 2012

The shareholders of TeliaSonera AB (publ) are hereby summoned to the annual
general meeting at 14.00 CET on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at Cirkus,
Djurgårdsslätten 43-45, Stockholm. Registration to the meeting starts at 13.00
CET. Coffee will be served before the meeting starts. The meeting will be
interpreted into English.

TeliaSonera AB discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Swedish
Securities Markets Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instrument Trading Act. The
information was submitted for publication at 5.35 p.m CET on February 21, 2012.

For more information, please call the TeliaSonera press office + 46-771 77 58
30, press@teliasonera.com

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in the press release relating to future status or circumstances,
including future performance and other trend projections are forward-looking
statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and
uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will
occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of
TeliaSonera.

 

Welcome to TeliaSonera’s Annual General Meeting 2012

The shareholders of TeliaSonera AB (publ) are hereby summoned to the annual
general meeting at 14.00 CET on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at Cirkus,
Djurgårdsslätten 43-45, Stockholm. Registration to the meeting starts at 13.00
CET. Coffee will be served before the meeting starts. The meeting will be
interpreted into English.

Right to attend
Shareholders who wish to attend the annual general meeting shall

  · be entered into the transcription of the share register as of Wednesday,
March 28, 2012, kept by Swedish central securities depository Euroclear Sweden
AB and
  · give notice of attendance to the Company no later than Wednesday, March 28,
2012.

Notice to the Company
Notice of attendance can be made

  · in writing to TeliaSonera AB, Box 7842, SE-103 98 Stockholm, Sweden,
  · by telephone +46-8-402 90 50 on weekdays between 9.00 and 16.00, or,
  · via the Company’s web site www.teliasonera.com (only private individuals).

When giving notice of attendance, please state name/company name, social
security number/corporate registration number, address, telephone number (office
hours) and number of accompanying persons.

Shareholding in the name of a nominee
Shareholders, whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee, must request
to be temporarily entered into the share register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB as
of March 28, 2012, in order to be entitled to participate in the meeting. Such
shareholder is requested to inform the nominee to that effect well before that
day.

As Finnish shareholders within the Finnish book-entry system at Euroclear
Finland Oy are nominee registered at Euroclear Sweden AB , these Finnish
shareholders have to contact Euroclear Finland Oy , by e-mail: thy@euroclear.eu
or by phone: +358 (0)20 770 6609, for re-registration well in advance of March
28, 2012 to be able to participate in the meeting.

Nominee
Shareholders who are represented by proxy shall issue a power of attorney for
the representative. Forms for power of attorneys are available at the Company’s
web site www.teliasonera.com from the date the notice is announced. To a power
of attorney issued by a legal entity a copy of the certificate of registration
(and should such certificate not exist, a corresponding document of authority)
of the legal entity shall be attached. In order to facilitate the registration
at the meeting, powers of attorney, certificates of registration and other
documents of authority should be sent to the Company at the address above at the
latest by Friday March 30, 2012.

Other information
The CEO’s speech at the annual general meeting will be posted on the Company’s
web site www.teliasonera.com after the meeting.

The total number of shares and votes in the Company is 4,330,084,781 as per the
date the notice is announced.

As per the same date, the Company does not own any shares in the Company. Upon
request by any shareholder and where the board believes that such may take place
without significant harm to the company, the board and the CEO shall provide
information at the general meeting in respect of any circumstances which may
affect the assessment of a matter on the agenda and any circumstances which may
affect the assessment of the company’s financial position.

Agenda

Opening of the annual general meeting

 1. Election of chairperson of the meeting
 2. Preparation and approval of voting register
 3. Adoption of agenda
 4. Election of two persons to check the meeting minutes along with the
chairperson
 5. Confirmation that the meeting has been duly and properly convened
 6. Presentation of the Annual Report and Auditor’s Report, Consolidated
Financial Statements and Group Auditor’s Report for 2011. Speech by President
and CEO Lars Nyberg in connection herewith and a description of the Board of
Directors work during 2011
 7. Resolution to adopt the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Consolidated
Statement of Comprehensive Income and Consolidated Statement of Financial
Position for 2011
 8. Resolution concerning appropriation of the Company’s profits as per the
adopted Balance Sheet and setting of record date for the stock dividend
 9. Resolution concerning discharging of members of the Board of Directors and
the President from personal liability towards the Company for the administration
of the Company in 2011
10. Resolution concerning number of board members and deputy board members to be
elected by the Annual General Meeting
11. Resolution concerning remuneration to the Board of Directors
12. Election of Board of Directors. The election will be preceded by information
from the chairperson concerning positions held in other companies by the
candidates
13. Election of chairman of the Board of Directors
14. Resolution concerning number of auditors and deputy auditors
15. Resolution concerning remuneration to the auditors
16. Election of auditors and deputy auditors
17. Election of Nomination Committee
18. Proposal regarding guidelines for remuneration to the executive management
19. The Board of Directors’ proposal for authorization to acquire own shares
20. The Board of Directors’ proposal for
(a)   implementation of a long-term incentive program 2012/2015 and
(b)   hedging arrangements for the program
21. Matter submitted by the shareholder Folksam regarding announced proposal
that the annual general meeting should resolve to give the Board of Directors an
assignment to adjust TeliaSonera’s current ethical guidelines in accordance with
the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights and OECD’s 2011 guidelines for
multinational companies.    

Closing of the annual general meeting

 

Proposals etc.

Item 8 – Dividend
The Board of Directors proposes that a dividend of SEK 2.85 per share shall be
distributed to the shareholders, and that April 10, 2012 shall be set as the
record date for the dividend. If the annual general meeting adopts this
proposal, it is estimated that disbursement from Euroclear Sweden AB will take
place on April 13, 2012.

Items 1 and 10 - 17 regarding the Board of Directors, auditors and remuneration
etc.
The Nomination Committee appointed by the annual general meeting presently
consists of the following persons: Kristina Ekengren, chairman (Swedish State),
Kari Järvinen (Finnish State via Solidium Oy), Thomas Eriksson (Swedbank Robur
Funds), Per Frennberg (Alecta) and Anders Narvinger (chairman of the Board of
Directors).  

The Nomination Committee presents the following proposals:

  · Chairman of the meeting: Sven Unger, Attorney-at-law.
  · Number of board members: Eight (8) with no deputy board members.
  · Remuneration to the Board of Directors: Remuneration to the Board of
Directors until the next annual general meeting would be SEK 1,100,000 to the
chairman (same as previously), SEK 450,000 (same as previously) to each other
board member elected by the annual general meeting. The chairman of the board’s
audit committee would receive remuneration of SEK 150,000 (same as previously)
and other members of the audit committee would receive SEK 100,000 each (same as
previously), and the chairman of the board’s remuneration committee would
receive SEK 55,000 (same as previously) and other members of the remuneration
committee would receive SEK 35,000 each (same as previously).
  · Election of Board of Directors: Re-election of Maija-Liisa Friman, Ingrid
Jonasson Blank, Anders Narvinger, Timo Peltola, Lars Renström, Jon Risfelt and
Per-Arne Sandström. Conny Karlsson has declined re-election. New election of
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. A presentation of the candidates nominated by the
Nomination Committee for election to the Board of Directors is available at the
web site of TeliaSonera, www.teliasonera.com, and will be available at the
annual general meeting.
  · Chairman of the Board of Directors: Anders Narvinger.
  · Number of auditors: The number of auditors shall, until the end of the
annual general meeting 2013, be one (1).
  · Remuneration to the auditors: Remuneration to the auditors shall be paid as
per invoice.
  · Election of auditors: Re-election of PricewaterhouseCoopers AB until the end
of the annual general meeting 2013.
  · Election of Nomination Committee: Kristina Ekengren (Swedish State), Kari
Järvinen (Finnish State via Solidium Oy), Thomas Eriksson (Swedbank Robur
Funds), Per Frennberg (Alecta) and Anders Narvinger (chairman of the Board of
Directors).

Item 18 – The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding guidelines for remuneration
to the executive management
The Board of Directors’ proposal in essence:
TeliaSonera objective is to offer remuneration levels and other employment
conditions required to attract, retain and motivate high calibre executives
needed to maintain the success of the business. Remuneration should be built
upon a total reward approach allowing for a market relevant – but not market
leading - and cost effective executive remuneration based on the components base
salary, pension and other benefits.

The base salary should reflect the competence required in the position and the
responsibility, complexity and business contribution of the executive. The base
salary should also reflect the performance of the executive and consequently be
individual and differentiated.

Pension and other retirement benefits shall be based on the defined contribution
method. The termination period may be up to six month when given by the
executive and up to 12 months when given by the employer (in relation to the CEO
6 months). In case of termination given by the employer, the executive may be
entitled to a severance payment of up to 12 months (in relation to the CEO 24
months). The severance payment shall not constitute a basis for calculation of
vacation pay or pension benefits and shall be reduced should the executive be
entitled to pay from a new employment or from conducting his own business during
the period under which the severance is payable to the executive. The executive
may be entitled to a company car benefit, health care provisions, travel
insurance etc. in accordance with local labour market practice.

The Board of Directors is allowed to make minor deviations on an individual
basis from the principles stated above.

Item 19 – Authorization for the Board of Directors to resolve on acquisitions of
own shares
The Board of Directors proposes that the annual general meeting authorize the
Board of Directors to resolve, on one or more occasions prior to the 2013 annual
general meeting, on acquisitions of own shares, which may take place both on
Nasdaq OMX Stockholm and/or Nasdaq OMX Helsinki and in accordance with an offer
to acquire shares directed to all shareholders or through a combination of these
two alternatives. The maximum number of shares to be acquired shall be such that
the Company’s holding from time to time does not exceed 10 percent of all shares
in the Company. Acquisitions of shares on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm and/or Nasdaq OMX
Helsinki may only be made at a price within the spread between the highest bid
price and lowest ask price prevailing from time to time on the exchanges.
Acquisitions of shares by way of offers to acquire shares directed to all the
Company’s shareholders may take place at an acquisition price which exceeds the
prevailing market price. It will thereupon be possible, by means of detachable
and tradable sales rights (Sw. säljrätter), for the shareholders to enjoy the
value of the premium which may arise as a consequence of the Company acquiring
shares at a price in excess of the market price for the share. In order to
compensate shareholders who neither sell sales rights nor participate in the
acquisition offer, for their non-exercised sales rights, a bank or another
financial institution that may be appointed by the Company shall, upon expiry of
the application period but otherwise in accordance with the terms and conditions
of the acquisition offer, be entitled to transfer shares to the Company and to
pay compensation, amounting to the value of the non-exercised sales rights less
the bank’s costs, to the shareholders concerned. However, the compensation
payable may not exceed the compensation that may be paid per sales right in the
event of an offer of commission-free sale of sales rights. In the event foreign
legal and/or administrative rules significantly impede implementation of an
acquisition offer in a particular country, the Board of Directors or a party
appointed by the Board of Directors, shall be entitled to effect a sale of sales
rights on behalf of the shareholders concerned and shall, instead, pay the cash
amount received upon a sale carried out with due care, less costs incurred. The
Board of Directors shall be entitled to decide on other terms and conditions for
the acquisition.

The purpose of the proposal above is to provide the Board of Directors with an
instrument to adapt and improve the Company's capital structure and thereby
create added value for the shareholders, and to enable the company to transfer
own shares under long-term incentive programes approved by a general meeting.
The Board of Directors also intends to propose that future annual general
meetings of the Company authorize the Board of Directors to resolve on
acquisitions of own shares on terms and conditions that are materially
equivalent to those set forth above. At present, the Company does not hold any
own shares. The Board of Directors intends to propose the 2013 annual general
meeting to cancel those own shares acquired, not hedging the company’s
obligations to deliver shares under long-term incentive programs approved by a
general meeting, through a reduction of the Company's share capital without
repayment to the shareholders.

Item 20 - The Board of Directors’ proposal for (a) Implementation of a long-term
incentive program 2012/2015 and (b) hedging arrangements in relation thereto
The Board of Directors’ proposal in essence:
(a) Implementation of a long-term incentive program 2012/2015
The proposed long-term incentive program for 2012/2015 (“Performance Share
Program 2012/2015”) shall comprise approximately 100 key employees within the
TeliaSonera group of companies (the “Group”) and in total no more than 1,400,000
TeliaSonera shares may be transferred to participants in the program upon
fulfilment of the performance conditions set out in the program (“Performance
Shares”). The maximum number of Performance Shares that finally may be allotted,
corresponds to approximately 0.03 percent of the total number of outstanding
shares in the Company. The Board of Directors intends to propose forthcoming
annual general meetings to implement performance-based share programs on similar
conditions that apply to the now proposed program.

Participants in the program shall be given the opportunity to, provided that
certain performance conditions, consisting of financial targets linked to EPS
(Earnings Per Share) and TSR (Total Shareholder Return), are met during the
three financial years 2012-2014 (the “Performance Period”), receive without
consideration final allotments of Performance Shares. Participation in the
program requires that the participants have invested in or allocated to the
program TeliaSonera shares (“Saving Shares”) corresponding to a value of two (2)
percent of a participant’s annual gross base salary (i.e. before taxes) per
year-end 2011 or, if a participant has been employed thereafter, the calculated
annual gross base salary for 2012 (the “Base Salary”). Saving Shares shall
normally be acquired or allocated to the program during a period of
approximately two weeks following the publication of the Company’s Interim
Report for the first quarter of 2012, but in the event of new recruitments
thereafter, participation in the program may be offered and acquisition or
allocation of Saving Shares may take place until the end of August 2012. A
condition for final allotments of Performance Shares shall normally be that the
participant has been employed within the Group during the whole period from
entering into the program until the day of publication of the Company’s Interim
Report for the first quarter of 2015 (the “Vesting Period”) and that all Saving
Shares held by a participant have been kept during such period.

Maximum preliminary allotments of Performance Shares for each of the financial
years 2012, 2013 and 2014 based on the EPS targets, shall amount to the number
of Performance Shares corresponding to 5.00 percent of the Base Salary for each
key employee divided by the volume-weighted average share price during December
of the Company’s share on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm official price list each of
the years 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Maximum allotments of Performance Shares based on the TSR target shall amount to
the number of Performance Shares corresponding to 15 percent of the Base Salary
for each key employee divided by the volume-weighted average share price during
December of the Company’s share on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm official price list
year 2011.

The targets for EPS based allotments as well as TSR based allotments of
Performance Shares, shall include a minimum level, which must be exceeded in
order for any allotment to occur at all, as well as a maximum level in excess of
which no additional allotment will occur. Should lower targets than the maximum
level be achieved, a lower number of Performance Shares will be allotted.

Final allotments of Performance Shares will take place following the publication
of the Company’s Interim Report for the first quarter of 2015. Recalculation of
final allotments of Performance Shares shall take place in the event of an
intervening bonus issue, share repurchase offer, split, rights issue and/or
other similar events. In addition, the maximum financial outcome for a
participant, and the maximum number of Performance shares to be finally
allotted, shall be capped at a value corresponding 37.5 percent of the Base
Salary of each key employee.

Upon termination of the employment within the Group during the Vesting Period,
the right to receive final allotments of Performance Shares normally lapses. In
addition to what is set out above, the Board of Directors shall under certain
circumstances be entitled to reduce final allotments of Performance Shares or,
wholly or partially, terminate Performance Share Program 2012/2015 in advance
and to make such local adjustments of the program that may be necessary to
implement the program with reasonable administrative costs and efforts in the
concerned jurisdictions, including, inter alia, to offer cash settlement as well
as to waive the requirement for investing in or allocating Saving Shares to the
program for participants in such jurisdictions.

(b) Hedging arrangements for the program
The Board of Directors has considered two alternative hedging methods for
Performance Program 2012/2015; either a hedging arrangement with a bank or other
financial institution securing delivery of shares under the program or transfers
of shares held by the Company itself to participants in Performance Share
Program 2012/2015. The Board of Directors considers the latter alternative as
its main alternative. However, should the annual general meeting not approve the
proposed transfer of shares held by the Company itself, the Board of Directors
may enter into a hedging arrangement set out above with a third party to hedge
the obligations of the Company under the program.

Based on the above conditions, the Board of Directors proposes that no more than
1,400,000 TeliaSonera shares may be transferred to participants in Performance
Share Program 2012/2015 as Performance Shares. Entitled to receive allotments of
Performance Shares without consideration shall be such persons within the Group
being participants in Performance Share Program 2012/2015. Further, subsidiaries
shall be entitled to acquire shares without consideration, in which case such
company shall be obliged, pursuant to the terms and conditions of Performance
Share Program 2012/2015, to immediately transfer the shares to such persons
within the Group that participate in Performance Share Program 2012/2015.
Transfers of shares shall be made without consideration at the time and on such
additional terms and conditions that participants in Performance Share Program
2012/2015 are entitled to receive final allotment of shares. The number of
shares that may be transferred shall be subject to recalculation in the event of
an intervening bonus issue, share repurchase offer, split, rights issue and/or
other similar events.

The Board of Directors’ proposes that the resolutions pursuant to items 20 (a)
and (b) above shall be resolved by the annual general meeting as two separate
resolutions. The proposal in item 20 (b) regarding transfers of shares shall be
conditional upon that the annual general meeting previously has approved item 20
(a), i.e. the implementation of the proposed program.

Item 21- The announced proposal by the shareholder Folksam regarding adjustment
of TeliaSonera’s ethical guidelines
The announced proposal by the shareholder Folksam read as follows:
Human rights apply to us all. They state that all human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights. The human rights are universal. They apply
everywhere in the world, whatever the country, culture or context. The human
rights regulate the relations between State authorities and individual people.
They limit the State authorities’ power over individual people, simultaneously
specifying certain obligations the authorities have towards people.

Freedom of expression and privacy play an important role. States have an
obligation to respect the regulations of international law. Every country is
responsible for seeing to it that the obligations regarding human rights are
implemented in the country’s national legislation.

The telecommunications sector is unique in that it enables exchange of ideas and
makes accessing information easier, thereby supporting economic growth and
technological development as well as improving many people’s quality of life.
Information and communications technology companies also carry a responsibility
to respect and protect their customers’ and users’ freedom of expression and
right to privacy.

The Swedish Government states on its home page as follows:
“Governments should not be allowed to limit the freedom of expression except
under very exceptional circumstances. Such limitations must be based on
internationally recognized laws and/or rules. The limitations must be essential
and proportionate to the intended objective.”

TeliaSonera’s Code of Ethics and Conduct states:
“TeliaSonera has a long history of success as a result of fair and ethical
business practices. We support international standards on human rights, labour
conditions, the environment and anticorruption.TeliaSonera strives to act as one
company, based on a common set of values, business principles and performance
management. Wherever we operate we act as a local company, identifying and
working with local business risks and opportunities. It is our objective to be a
clean company and a good corporate citizen, living by the letter and sprit of
the law."

In our opinion, TeliaSonera’s ethical guidelines should not be dependent only on
the legal frames of the countries where TeliaSonera has operations.
TeliaSonera’s ethical guidelines should also make it clear that the company
complies with the international human rights and rules set out in Article 19 of
the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights and in OECD’s recently revised guidelines
for multinational companies, especially as regards freedom of expression and
human rights.

On account of the above, Folksam proposes that the annual general meeting should
resolve to give the Board an assignment to adjust TeliaSonera’s current ethical
guidelines in accordance with the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights and OECD’s
2011 guidelines for multinational companies.

The updated ethical guidelines could help to improve TeliaSonera’s opportunities
to respect and protect its users’ and customers’ freedom of expression.

Majority requirements
The resolutions of the annual general meeting regarding item 19 above shall, in
order to be valid, be supported by shareholders representing at least two thirds
of the votes cast as well as of the shares represented at the meeting.

The resolution regarding implementation of the proposed long-term incentive
program pursuant item 20 (a) above requires a simple majority vote.

The resolution of the annual general meeting regarding the proposed hedging
arrangements pursuant to item 20 (b) above requires in order to be valid that no
less than nine-tenths of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the
annual general meeting have to approve the proposal.

Documents etc.
The accounts, the auditor’s report, the Board of Directors’ reasoned statements,
the auditor’s statement according to chapter 8 section 54 of the Swedish
Companies Act as well as the complete decisions proposals set out above, will be
available at TeliaSonera AB, Investor Relations, Stureplan 8 in Stockholm, as
from Tuesday March 13, 2012. The complete decision proposal regarding item 20
will be available as from Tuesday March 6, 2012. The material can also be
obtained in writing to the following address: TeliaSonera AB, Box 7842, SE-103
98 Stockholm, or by phone +46-8-402 90 50. The documents will also be available
on the Company’s web site www.teliasonera.com from the same date.

 

Stockholm, February, 2012

The Board of Directors

Attachments

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