A Dutch court reported that Heineken had won the case brought against the Dutch brewer by First Federation, its former Russian distributor. The court ruled that Heineken had legally terminated its contract with First Federation.

Following the court decision, Heineken reported that it was to proceed with its plans to begin selling locally brewed Heineken in Russia. A company’s spokesmen said: "Heineken will continue to execute its plans. It has been brewing Heineken in St Petersburg since February this year and will bring the beer this month to the market."

First Federation had alleged that Heineken had not given proper notice of its intention to terminate the contract, rendering the termination invalid. However, Heineken said it had first signalled its intention to brew Heineken locally when it announced its acquisition of the St Petersburg brewery, Bravo, in February 2002.

17 March, 2003