Giesecke & Devrient halts deliveries to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Munich (Germany) 2 July (PROTEXT/ots) - The Management Board of Giesecke &Devrient GmbH, Munich, today decided to cease delivering banknote paper tothe Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with immediate effect.

The company has taken this step in response to an official request from theGerman government and calls for international sanctions by the EuropeanUnion and United Nations.

"Our decision is a reaction to the political tension in Zimbabwe, which ismounting significantly rather than easing as expected, and takes account ofthe critical evaluation by the international community, German governmentand general public," explains Dr. Karsten Ottenberg, Chairman of theManagement Board and CEO of Giesecke & Devrient GmbH.

In delivering banknotes and banknote paper, Giesecke & Devrient is subjectto strict rules defined by the World Bank. The company continues to rely onthe political and moral assessment provided by international traderegulators.

About Giesecke & Devrient:

Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a technology leader in the field of smartcards, providing smart card-based solutions for telecommunications,electronic payment, healthcare, ID, transportation, and IT security (PKI).G&D is also a leading producer of banknotes and security documents and isdominant in the field of currency automation. Based in Munich, Germany, theG&D Group maintains subsidiaries and joint ventures around the world. Infiscal 2007, the Group employed close to 9,000 people and generated revenueof almost €1.5 billion.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.gi-de.com.

Contact:

Barbara Kögler, Group Vice President Corporate Communications

Phone: +49-89-4119-3025, Fax: -1208

E-Mail: barbara.koegler@gi-de.com

Heiko Witzke, Head of Media Relations

Phone: +49 89-4119-2422, Fax: -1208

E-Mail: heiko.witzke@gi-de.com

Giesecke & Devrient GmbH

Prinzregentenstrasse 159, 81607 Munich, Germany

http://www.gi-de.com/press

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