MOSCOW AP Norway's state telecommunications company Telenor said Tuesday it would buy a 25 percent stake in Russia's largest cellular phone provider VimpelCom a news report said. VimpelCom was the first Russian company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange in 1996. VimpelCom president Dmitry Zimin said the company welcomed the dlrs 160 million Telenor sale at a time when obtaining loans from foreign banks has become extremely difficult the Interfax news agency reported. Russia's financial crisis has eroded the credibility of many Russian companies. The deal gives Telenor 25 percent plus one share of VimpelCom and three of the nine seats on the board of directors. The sale is to be completed by June 1 1999 Interfax said. Telenor runs cellular networks in Norway Germany Ireland Greece Austria Hungary Montenegro Ukraine and Bangladesh the report said. VimpelCom was founded in 1992 by a group of Russian radio and defense equipment experts with help from a U.S. investment firm. adc APW19981201.1513.txt.body.html APW19981201.1503.txt.body.html