According to reports, Dutch bank ABN Amro and the British bank Barclays plc confirmed they are in exclusive preliminary discussions concerning a potential combination of the two organisations, currently valued at around $76 billion and $86 billion respectively. %% ABN Amro, which is considered to be one of the leading financiers of the diamond and jewellery trade, recently said it was eyeing growth in Asia, Italy and Brazil. Barclays is believed to be interested in acquiring ABN’s Asian and other overseas operations. %% If the merger talks are successful, it would be the largest deal ever between UK and European banks, with a combined worth of $162 billion, a global staff of 220,000 and a customer base of 47 million.