Alstom to seek shareholder approval for GE deal in fourth quarter

The logos of French power and transport engineering company Alstom and US conglomerate General Electric are pictured on their site in BelfortPARIS (Reuters) – Alstom will seek shareholder approval for its tie-up with General Electric in the fourth quarter, Chief Executive Patrick Kron told the French engineering group's annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday. The train and turbine maker last month agreed a $16.9 billion deal with GE that will be the U.S. conglomerate's biggest ever acquisition. The deal, which sparked a two-month tug-of-war with the French government, is expected to close in the first half of 2015. (Reporting by Natalie Huet; Editing by James Regan)