Jun 14, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Incorporated announced on June 13, 2007 that each company will hold a meeting of its shareholders on July 26, 2007 in order for shareholders to vote on, among other matters, the companies' proposed combination. The Québec Superior Court has granted today an interim order approving the holding of the special meeting of Abitibi-Consolidated shareholders. In connection with the proposed combination of Abitibi-Consolidated and Bowater, Bowater Canada Inc., an exchangeable share Canadian public subsidiary of Bowater, will also hold a special meeting of its shareholders in order to approve certain amendments to Bowater Canada's articles required to facilitate and implement the combination. For Abitibi-Consolidated, the combination requires the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the votes cast at the Abitibi-Consolidated special meeting by holders of Abitibi-Consolidated common shares present or represented by proxy at the special meeting. For Bowater, the combination requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the total voting power of all outstanding shares of Bowater common stock and Bowater special voting stock (representing Bowater Canada exchangeable shares) entitled to vote at the Bowater meeting, voting together as a single class. The combined company, which will be called AbitibiBowater Inc., will be the third largest publicly traded paper and forest products company in North America and the eighth largest in the world. AbitibiBowater will own or operate 32 pulp and paper facilities and 35 wood product facilities located mainly in Eastern Canada and the Southeastern U.S. It will also be among the world's largest recyclers of newspapers and magazines. Abitibi-Consolidated is a global leader in newsprint and commercial printing papers as well as a major producer of wood products, serving clients in some 70 countries from its 45 operating facilities. Abitibi-Consolidated is among the largest recyclers of newspapers and magazines in North America, diverting annually approximately 1.7 million tonnes of waste paper from landfills. It also ranks first in Canada in terms of total certified woodlands. Bowater Incorporated is a leading producer of coated and specialty papers and newsprint. In addition, the company sells bleached market pulp and lumber products. Bowater has 12 pulp and paper mills in the United States, Canada and South Korea. In North America, it also operates one converting facility and owns 10 sawmills. Bowater's operations are supported by approximately 763,000 acres of timberlands owned or leased in the United States and Canada and 28 million acres of timber cutting rights in Canada. Bowater operates six recycling plants and is one of the world's largest consumers of recycled newspapers and magazines.