东京/大阪 -- 据《日本经济新闻》周五获悉，日本两家地方银行——滋贺银行和总部位于大阪的泉州池田控股（泉州池田银行的母公司）正处于合并谈判的最后阶段，旨在组建日本西部关西地区最大的地方银行。
TOKYO/OSAKA -- Two Japanese regional lenders, Shiga Bank and Senshu Ikeda Holdings, the parent company of Osaka-based Senshu Ikeda Bank, are in the final stages of merger talks to create the largest regional lender in Japan's western Kansai region, Nikkei learned Friday.
此举将成为日本地方银行合并的最新案例，各行纷纷向人口众多的大城市拓展业务。
The move will be the latest example of regional bank mergers in the country, with banks expanding into major urban areas with large populations.
预计两家银行将在各自的董事会会议上敲定合并事宜，并最早于下周四宣布该交易。讨论将集中在架构上，即泉州池田银行和滋贺银行将成为一家控股公司的子公司。
Both banks are expected to decide on the merger at their board meetings and to announce the deal as early as next Thursday. Discussions will center on the structure, in which Senshu Bank and Shiga Bank will be subsidiaries of a holding company.
截至3月底，两家银行的合并资产达14.2万亿日元（约合907亿美元），超过京都金融集团的11.8万亿日元，使新实体成为该地区最大的银行集团。
The combined assets of the two banks were 14.2 trillion yen ($90.7 billion) as of the end of March, surpassing Kyoto Financial Group's 11.8 trillion yen, making the new entity the largest banking group in the region.
两家银行于4月宣布建立资本业务提携，双方各自持有对方约0.5%至1%的股份。它们一直在广泛领域开展合作，包括银团贷款和并购顾问服务。通过合并，两家银行旨在增强金融实力，并争取大型资本投资项目和大企业贷款。
The two banks announced a capital and business alliance in April, under which each would acquire a stake of about 0.5% to 1% in the other. They have been working to collaborate in a wide range of areas, including syndicated loans and M&A advisory services. Through the merger, the two banks aim to strengthen their financial capacity and secure large-scale capital investment projects and loans to major corporations.
一项豁免地方银行间合并适用《反垄断法》的特别法将于2030年到期，这促使全国各地的地方银行考虑类似的合并。
A special law exempting mergers and consolidations among regional banks from the Antimonopoly Act expires in 2030, prompting regional lenders to consider similar mergers nationwide.