March 11 (Reuters) - Mexican cement maker Cemex

on Wednesday said it plans to sell some assets in

Colombia in deals it expects to bring in around $555 million, as

it continues to shed assets outside of its core markets.

Cemex in a statement said peer Holcim will buy a

cement plant, a grinding mill and a portfolio of other plants

for $485 million in a deal set to close by year-end.

The cement maker said it is in talks with undisclosed

parties for other assets worth about $70 million.

Cemex has been looking to exit Colombia, media reported,

after sales in Central America and the Philippines in the past

two years.

It will retain two cement plants in Colombia with combined

installed annual capacity of 1.6 million metric tons, as well as

a grinding mill, ready-mix plants and aggregates quarries.

"We are pleased with the continued progress we are making in

further streamlining our portfolio, while we focus on investing

and strengthening our position in key geographies and businesses

in the U.S., Europe and Mexico," Chief Executive Jaime Muguiro

said.

Holcim's CEO told Reuters late last year that big

acquisitions were possible in the following months after it

bought German walling systems maker Xella for 1.85 billion euros

($2.14 billion).

($1 = 0.8660 euros)