Vietnam: Anheuser-Busch International Inc. is looking for investment opportunities in Vietnam, AFX-Asia said on April 5. Steve Burrows, chief executive officer and president of Anheuser-Busch International, will visit the communist nation this month for talks with the government and two state-owned breweries.

"The purpose of my visit to Vietnam is to meet with senior government and industry officials to discuss the future of the beer industry in Vietnam," he said in a letter to the Ministry of Planning and Investment carried by the ministry's mouthpiece, the Vietnam Investment Review.

Burrows said he wanted to discuss sharing "our experience in management, marketing, technology transfer and other disciplines" with Hanoi Brewery Corp (HABECO) and Saigon Brewery Corp (SABECO). "We would also like to discuss how we could cooperate with these two brewers to deal with the future challenges of increased competition, on both domestic and international levels, and to develop the popularity of their brands in Vietnam and in the region."

Anheuser-Busch International does not have any operations in Vietnam, but a ministry official told the newspaper it was considering taking a stake in one of the domestic brewers. "ABII (Anheuser-Busch) is interested in acquiring a minor share in HABECO or SABECO or going into a joint venture with one of the two corporations," the official was quoted as saying.

The company could not Ube contacted for confirmation. Anheuser-Busch is the world's largest brewer, operating 14 breweries, 12 in the US and two overseas. The company currently brews approximately 30 types of beer for sale in the US.

06 April, 2004