The Russia-based brewing group, Sun Interbrew, a subsidiary of Belgian giant Interbrew, said it had acquired a further 41% in the Ukraine’s brewery, based in Nicolaev city, Yantar. Sun Interbrew acquired the stake from the investment fund INVESCO Asset Management. No financial details of the deal were revealed. The purchase increased its participation in Yantar to 97.5%.

Beer production at Yantar reached 1.4 million hl in 2002. Yantar and Getman are its primary brands.

Besides Yantar, Sun Interbrew controls in Ukraine brewery Rogan (Kharkov city) and Desna (Chernigov city). In the first half of 2003 Sun Interbrew Ukraine brewed about 26,6 million litres of beer, 33,9% more than in the same period last year.

Sun Interbrew was created in spring 1999 by Belgian brewing company Interbrew and international Sun Brewing to activate on the Russian and Ukrainian markets. Now the company owns 8 breweries in Russia and 3 in Ukraine. Last year Sun Interbrew sold about 12,5 million hl of beer versus 11,8 million hl in 2001.

30 July, 2003