Coca-Cola Co. has applied for Russian regulator approval to acquire  juicemaker Nidan Soki,

In January, it was said that Coca-Cola was considering buying a controlling stake in Nidan from private equity group Lion Capital.If approved, this acquisition will make Coca-Cola the number one player in the Russian juice market,

Coca-Cola already has a significant share in the Russian juice market through Multon, which has a nearly 22 percent market share, according to research group Business Analitika.

"All the necessary agreements have been reached. It remains to get approval from FAS (Federal Anti-monopoly Service)," a source close to the U.S. beverage giant told Reuters.The source said that Coca-Cola was hoping to get approval in a 3- to 9-month period.

"We are interested in buying Nidan," Coca-Cola's spokesman Vladimir Kravtsov said.

source: reuters