Dutch brewery Heineken said on Wednesday that it had already submitted a request to the Russian authorities to sell its business in Russia, without detailing the buyer or the terms of the business.
After the beginning of the invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, the company promised to withdraw from the Russian market and cease its presence, although over the past year it has not found a buyer. But this Wednesday, presenting the results, she confirmed that she already has a candidate.
“We are continuing to work on the transfer of ownership of our business in Russia and have submitted a request for approval to the authorities of the Russian Federation in accordance with local regulatory requirements. When we receive approval, we will provide more details about the buyer and the agreement,” he added. brewery.
In March, Heineken felt compelled to ask for an “apology” after controversy surrounding its Russian subsidiary, which launched new products last year despite invading Ukraine, and said it kept its “promise to leave Russia” when closing a deal with new owner “in the first half of 2023”.
Investigative journalism platform Follow the Money (FTM) condemned a month earlier that Heineken continued to invest in the Russian Federation, where it even increased business after the exit of brands such as Budweiser and Carlsberg, and even launched 61 new products during 2022. despite his promises to leave the country due to the invasion of Ukraine.
True, it removed the Heineken brand from the Russian market, but replaced it with new products such as Amstel variants. FTM also condemned that the brewer introduced soft drinks to the Russian market after Coca Cola and Pepsi left.
Heineken’s rationale was that it did not leave Russia directly, as other companies did, to provide for the future of its nearly 1,800 employees in Russia, who would suffer the consequences of Heineken’s sudden suspension or termination of operations.
“A business that makes a loss is difficult to sell, so we would deprive them of the possibility of further employment. At the same time, “deliberate closure” is a criminal offense in Russia that carries the risk of prosecution or nationalization, something we want to avoid,” according to the company’s clarification, put forward at its headquarters in the Netherlands.
Heineken has been present in the Russian Federation for 20 years, and this market accounts for two percent of its total sales.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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