March 4 (Reuters) - Barrick Gold Corp ABX.TO CEO Mark Bristow said in an interview on Monday he will discuss with Newmont Mining Corp (NYSE:NEM) NEM.N a proposed joint venture in Nevada, despite the dispute between the two gold producers over Barrick's hostile takeover bid.
"We will definitely engage Newmont immediately to see if they have a genuine commitment to this discussion around unlocking the synergies of Nevada," Bristow told Reuters.
Newmont rejected Barrick's $18 billion acquisition offer on Monday and countered with a proposal for a joint venture in Nevada, a deal that would be worth billions of dollars and create a major operator in the largest U.S. gold-producing region.