May 5 (Reuters) - Mexican lender Banorte

is not considering making a bid for Banamex, Citi's

one-time retail unit in the country which it split off last

year, CEO Marcos Ramirez told local newspaper Milenio in an

interview published on Monday.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Ramirez's comments were a shift away from statements he made

during Banorte's most recent earnings call last month, where he

suggested Banorte could be eyeing potential opportunities for

the purchase. Ramirez told Milenio those comments were

misinterpreted.

KEY QUOTES

"We were interested a few years ago, but we backed out... We

are not involved in the new process," Ramirez told Milenio. "We

will continue monitoring what happens with it (Banamex) and any

others."

Ramirez had told analysts last month that Banorte was

watching the unit's moves closely and would "propose" from

there.

CONTEXT

Banorte in 2022 launched a bid to take over Banamex, but

eventually withdrew, a decision analysts viewed favorably at the

time.

Citi was close to selling the unit to mining conglomerate

Grupo Mexico for $7 billion, though tensions between the group

and then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led to the deal

falling apart.

Citi now plans to list Banamex, which could be a possible

dual listing in Mexico City and New York.