French-Japanese car making alliance Renault-Nissan has completed a deal to take control of Russia’s largest automaker AvtoVAZ, a Renault spokesman said on Friday.
The deal, which was agreed in 2012 and expected to be sealed this month, was completed on June 18.
Renault-Nissan now has a 67.1 percent stake in the holding company that controls AvtoVAZ. The holding, in which Russian state technology
conglomerate Rostec owns the remaining shares, in turn controls 74.5 percent of AvtoVAZ.
AvtoVAZ reported a loss last year as slowing economic growth depressed Russian car sales. Its shares were up 1.4 percent in early afternoon
trading, outperforming the wider market.
Renault has said it is confident of its long-term prospects in Russia, despite Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and declining sales.
Renault, which owns 43.4 percent of Nissan, paid $1 billion for an initial 25 percent AvtoVAZ stake in 2008.
