Scottish & Newcastle is considering joining with another brewer to buy Carlsberg's stake in Russia's Balti? Beverages Holding , which produces the famous Baltika range of beers.
Baltiс Beverages Holding is a leading player on the beer market in Russia and the CIS, with 19 breweries operating in the region. Earlier this month, Carlsberg and Heineken said they planned a joint bid for Scottish & Newcastle, and Scottish & Newcastle's plans to pick up the Baltiс Beverages Holding stake could be a way to keep its independence. Baltika's Russian brewer is jointly-owned by Carlsberg and Scottish & Newcastle, and is seen as a key area of growth for both companies.