OREANDA-NEWS. On 14 March 2008 was announced, that further to the headline that was published by Reuters today, X5 Retail Group N.V., Russia’s largest food retailer in terms of sales, states that neither the Company, nor its major shareholder, Alfa Group, have hired Morgan Stanley to sell a stake in the Company.

At the same time, X5 Retail Group is not in a position to comment on the decisions or public comments made by its minority shareholders with respect to sale of shares or GDRs in the Company.