Baltic President Taimuraz Bolloev wrote a letter to the head of the Federal Property Management Agency Vadim Yakovenko with a proposal to nationalize the company. A source close to the Ministry of Finance confirmed receipt of the letter, Vedomosti writes.
Another source close to the company also stated that nationalization is indeed being discussed. Bolloev states in his letter that this is “the only way out of the current situation.”
When the CEO of Carlsberg (owner of Baltika), Jacob Aarup-Andersen, accused the Russian side of stealing business, the Ministry of Finance responded that the company was not state-owned. And the move to temporary management by the Federal Property Management Agency does not imply changes in the ownership structure.
Bolloev, in turn, accuses Carlsberg of “hostile and illegal actions”, in particular, transferring licensing rights to the Baltika brand for use in 11 countries (mainly the CIS) over a period of 20 years. In November, the Interior Ministry and the FSB detained two senior Baltika managers on suspicion of aiding Carlsberg. They are tasked with transferring the rights to the company’s brands to the Danish holding company.
Bolloev in his letter to the Federal Property Management Agency also points out that when evaluating Baltika certain circumstances must be taken into account. For example, the book value of fixed assets, which amounts to 17 billion rubles.
Carlsberg, writes the president of Baltika, did not invest in the modernization of the company’s fixed assets or in the development and creation of new production plants.
Bolloev insists that the company today needs significant funds to update technological equipment and software.
Carlsberg planned to sell the Russian business in mid-2023.
Author:
Natalia Gormaleva
Source: RB
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