Business Nov. 03, 2008 - 04:21AM JST ( 1 )

TOKYO —

American International Group Inc will postpone the planned merger of Japanese units AIG Star Life Insurance Co and AIG Edison Life Insurance Co from Jan 1 to April 1, 2009, or later. The leading U.S. insurance company has expressed intention to sell the two Japanese units and now finds it necessary to take the views of potential buyers into account.

AIG hopes to sell AIG Star and AIG Edison together, so the merger may still take place. In addition, troubled AIG, now under U.S. government control, plans to sell American Life Insurance Co, which also operates in Japan.

JCN