Philip Morris is showing steady growth in Russia where the company now accounts for 26.8 per cent of the market, largely due to its diverse brand portfolio, Altria Group chairman and CEO, Louis C. Camilleri, told the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholers.

Over the first three months of the year, PM Russia has increased shipments by 11 per cent year-on-year, all strategic brands posting growth of their market shares. According to the Russian market survey agency Business Analytica, Parliament and Marlboro have consolidated their share of the market to 2.11 and 2.26 per cent respectively, PM now holding 41 per cent of the premium segment and 46 per cent of the mid-price segment, reports Rustabak trade news agency. A number of new cigarette brands have been launched in Russian in Q1, charcoal-filter Bond Street Special (in the Far East), and Muratti slims among them. (vt)