BNP Paribas and the Belgian government have agreed on a deal to re-privatise the remaining 25% of shares in BNP Paribas Fortis.
The shares were originally taken over by the Belgian state when the other 75% of Belgian Bank Fortis was bought by BNP Paribas in 2008. They will be sold to the bank for 3.25bn ($4.36 bn), representing a capital gain of 900m for the state.
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Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and Minister of Finance Koen Geens said: "The objectives set by the Government when the Belgian State initially invested were fully achieved.
"The bank has met its commitments despite a challenging environment. The moment had therefore come for the Belgian State to disengage from BNP Paribas Fortis. We are confident in the ability of the bank to maintain its role in the Belgian economy."
The sale of the its stake in BNP Paribas Fortis brings the state one step closer to disentangling itself from the various banks it bailed out during the economic crisis.
BNP Paribas itself escaped the economic crisis relatively unscathed, posting net profits of 3bn and 5.8bn in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
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