UK operator group Vodafone has signed a partner market agreement with Polish operator Polkomtel. Vodafone’s multinational customers will benefit from the addition of Poland to their existing contracts for international services, the group said. Vodafone disposed of its stake of 24.4 per cent in Polkomtel in 2011, part of a wider strategy to realise value from its non-controlled assets.

Partner markets are operations in which Vodafone has entered into a partnership agreement with a local mobile operator, enabling a range of its global products and services to be marketed in that operator’s territory.

Under the terms of these non-equity agreements, Vodafone cooperates with its partners to develop and market certain services, often under dual brand logos.

Ravinder Takkar, CEO of Vodafone partner markets said the agreement provides an opportunity for Vodafone to further strengthen its presence in Eastern Europe.  Zygmunt Solorz-Żak, president of the management board of Polkomtel, added: “This agreement is good news for our customers and it is another important step for Polkomtel to offer more than our competitors. I am confident that the cooperation will result in numerous interesting business projects which will offer benefits to both our existing and new customers.”

Polkomtel has a customer base of approximately 14 million and provides services in Poland under the Plus brand.

Vodafone’s partner market agreements in Eastern Europe include Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine. The firm’s operations in the region include the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Romania.