A Moscow appeals court has blocked Alfa and TeliaSonera from combining their stakes in Russian mobile operaor Megafon and Turkcell. Alisher Usmanov, the third shareholder of Megafon, is ready to buy out the other shareholders, reports Vedomosti. The court approved the appeal filed by Usmanov's company Telecominvest, which claimed that the deal violated rules on foreign investment in strategic industries in Russia. While Telecominvest was invited to participate in the merger of Megafon and Turkcell, the company refused, favouring consolodation on the Russian market. This is the second appeal by Telecominvest; TeliaSonera and Alfa earlier won a court ruling in their favour and are expected to appeal again.
