Vodafone CEO: Important Africa, Asia Acquisitions Needed in 2008

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Vodafone Group Chief Executive Arun Sarin said Monday the company had "important acquisitions in Asia and Africa that we have to make" in 2008.

Sarin was speaking on Sky TV and gave no further details.

In his speech, he explained why he had no plans to leave the company, which he has headed since 2003. "This is not the time to say goodbye," he said.

"In Britain we are seeing some headwinds in the business - not alarming but certainly worth watching very carefully," he said.

The U.K. now makes up less than 10% of the company's subscriber base.

Sarin declined to say whether the company was interested in bidding for Carphone Warehouse Group, speculation about which has propelled Carphone Warehouse's shares in the last few days.

-By Gren Manuel, Dow Jones Newswires; 44 20 7842 9279; gren.manuel@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Posted to the site on 7th January 2008