Philip Morris to Produce Russian Marlboro, Izvestiya Says (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Philip Morris to Produce Russian Marlboro, Izvestiya Says
Source: Bloomberg News, Tuesday, 9/21/99

Moscow, Sept. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Philip Morris Cos., the world's biggest
cigarette maker, will start producing a Russian version of its
best-selling Marlboro brand this winter, Russian daily Izvestiya reported,
citing a company spokesman. Morris' new $335 million cigarette plant, the
biggest in Russia, is ready for production, he said. ``Our goal is 20
rubles (80 cents) a packet,'' the spokesman said, the paper reported.

Foreign cigarette companies were hit by the 70 percent decline in value of
the ruble since the government abandoned its defence of the currency in
August 1998, though Philip Morris still controls 16 percent of the Russian
tobacco market. (Izvestiya 9/21 www.izvestia.ru)