Meanwhile, the RBS-led consortium of three banks - RBS, Belgian-Dutch group Fortis and Spain's Santander - are still considering their position, Fortis chairman Maurice Lippens said.

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The group also includes Spain's Banco Santander and Belgium's Fortis.

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The RBS group wants to break up the lender into three parts, so that Belgian-Dutch bank Fortis would get ABN's Dutch operations, Spanish bank Banco Santander Central Hispano SA, acquires ABN's Brazilian and Italian arms, and RBS getting Chicago-based LaSalle.

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The RBS group wants to break up the lender into three parts, so that Belgian-Dutch bank Fortis would get ABN's Dutch operations, Spanish bank Banco Santander Central Hispano SA (nyse: STD - news - people ), acquires ABN's Brazilian and Italian arms, and RBS getting Chicago-based LaSalle.

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