Russia: BBH is consolidating its Russian brewing assets

Baltic Beverage Holding is continuing to consolidate it Russian brewing assets. Baltika�s subsidiaries, OAO Yarpivo and OAO Voronezh Brewery are in talks to merge. As of 31 March 2005, all assets of OAO Voronezh Brewery were estimated at 1.155 billion RUB. There were not determined any deadlines for companies� merging yet, however analysts believe it could happen in the near future.

According to experts, the consolidation of assets of the two breweries is a part of the strategy of their majority shareholder Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH), which is planning to strengthen notably its position on the Russian beer market, increasing the coordination of all its subsidiaries.