BNP Paribas is the greater bank of France by vol. of assets and twelfth of the world. It has 2,571 branches, of which 553 are abroad. In May of 1996 it tried to buy the Compagnie d Investissements de Paris. In November of 1996 it took a participation from control in Capital PrimeEast Group. November of 1997 it entered an operation in Austria with Dresdner Bank. In March of 1999 one megred with Société Generale and Paribas to form SBP. Until June of 2000 BNP was called.