JSC Bank VTB North-West has offered the Sodrugestvo Group a USD 250 million five-year facility, including a USD 188 million long-term loan and USD 62 million six-month revolving short-term loan...

SVETLIY, OCTOBER 26th 2009

SODRUGESTVO GROUP AGREES ON A USD 250 MILLION FACILITY WITH
JSC BANK VTB NORTH-WEST

JSC Bank VTB North-West has offered the Sodrugestvo Group a USD 250 million five-year facility, including a USD 188 million long-term loan and USD 62 million six-month revolving short-term loan. The long-term loan will be used to refinance existing facilities of the Sodrugestvo Group that has been used to finance the development of the infrastructure assets owned by Z.A.O. Sodrugestvo Soya, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Sodrugestvo Group, in Kaliningrad. The facilities in Kaliningrad understand a deep-sea port terminal and its railroad infrastructure, dry bulk storage with a capacity of 166,000 tons, liquid bulk storage with a capacity of 42,000 m3 (including the only tropical oil storage facility in Russia), two soybean and rapeseed crushing plants with a combined capacity of 1.1 million tons per year.

Despite the financial crisis, the Sodrugestvo Group will pursue its infrastructure investment policy in 2010: it is planning the extension of its port and storage facilities to facilitate the export of Russian agricultural commodities through Kaliningrad, as an alternative for shippers to the European Union and the African continent.

Sodrugestvo (www.sodrugestvo.com) has been founded in 1994 and is focused on servicing the agricultural markets through specialized infrastructures, dedicated logistics, processing facilities and trading and distribution of selected commodities. Sodrugestvo has its head office and its largest facility in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. With 18 locations in 7 countries, Sodrugestvo has more than 1,000 collaborators. In 2009, Sodrugestvo has crushed more than 1.1 million tons of soybeans and rapeseed, becoming a leading player in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Consolidated sales for the year ending June 30th 2009 have reached $845 mil., confirming an average annual growth of 15% or more for the last ten years. Sodrugestvo is privately held.

JSC Bank VTB North-West is a member of the VTB Group. The Bank is servicing corporate customers in the North-West Federal District and the Kirov Oblast. As of October 1st 2009 the regional network of the Bank consists of 35 points of sale (including 18 branches). Since the beginning of the year, JSC Bank VTB North-West has provided the real economy with the amount of 177.7 billion Rubles in loans, of which 69.2 billion have been issued during the third quarter.

Additional Information:
Vitaly Verigo

Tel: + 7 4012 30 55 00
e-mail : v.verigo@sodru.com