SOLVAY COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF GHARDA

The Solvay Group announces today that it has successfully completed the acquisition of the Polymers Division of Gharda Chemicals in India. Earlier this year, Solvay finalized the acquisition of the US-based start-up company Mississippi Polymer Technologies (MPT). The two operations mark the expansion of Solvay into the upper -- most sophisticated -- segment of the specialty polymers business. PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-15-2006/0004361883&EDATE=)