<div><p>French energy giant GDF Suez has made a takeover approach to London-listed energy group International Power, according to a newspaper report on Sunday.</p><p>The Sunday Times, which did not cite its source, said takeover talks had intensified in the run-up to Christmas, with phonecalls between GDF Suez boss Gerard Mestrallet and International Power chief executive Philip Cox.</p><p>Both companies refused to comment on the report when questioned by AFP on Sunday.</p><p>International Power has a stock market capitalization of about 5.0 billion pounds (5.6 billion euros, 8.1 billion dollars). It has interests in 45 power stations around the world and owns half a dozen power plants in Britain.</p><p>The Sunday Times added that state-controlled GDF Suez had appointed BNP Paribas, Goldman Sachs and Rothschild to help work on a possible cash-and-shares bid.</p><p>The share price of International Power has soared by around 30 percent since bid speculation first emerged last November.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=67095855&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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