The Coca-Cola Company announced Thursday morning that it had agreed to acquire the North American operations of its largest bottler, revising a 24-year-old strategy of keeping its bottling operations segregated from its main soft-drink business.

Both Coke and Pepsi had practiced a strategy over the past few decades to run its bottling assets separately. Pepsi is currently spending US$7.8-billion to acquire its two largest bottlers and those acquisitions are revealed to close Friday.

As per the deal, Coke will take over the North American operations of the bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises. Coca-Cola Enterprises, or C. C. E., would then acquire Coke's bottling operations in Norway and Sweden, becoming a European-focused producer and distributor of Coke products.

In addition, Coke's will now possess the right to buy 83 percent stake in its German bottling operations within 18 months to 36 months after the deal's closing.

Also, it is revealed that the deal is worth more than $13 billion and Coke will give up its 34 percent stake in C. C. E., valued at $3.4 billion, and assume about $9.5 billion of C. C. E. debts and other obligations.

Coke was advised by the investment banks Allen & Company and Goldman Sachs and the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.