London, Aug. 26 (Reuters): The Vodafone group is preparing to sell its 25 per cent stake in Swiss mobile operator Swisscom Mobile following its Belgian market exit, the London Times reported on Saturday.

It said while Vodafone has not entered formal negotiations over Swisscom Mobile, the sale could come before year-end. Swisscom, the mobile division’s parent company, was said to be the most likely buyer.

A Vodafone spokesman said the report was just speculation.

The report came one day after Vodafone’s 2-billion-euro (£1.4 billion) sale of its 25 per cent stake in Belgian mobile business Proximus to Belgacom, Belgium’s dominant telecom firm.

The mobile giant has been under pressure to unravel its global structure with minority interests and concentrate on core western European operations, a retreat from an expansionist strategy that has defined it for years.