The Russian Direct Investment Fund, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, and Barilla Group, a global producer of pasta and bakery products, agreed to invest $117m in Barilla Rus, a Russian subsidiary of Barilla Group. RDIF will acquire a minority stake in Barilla Rus as part of the transaction. “Our joint investment in Barilla Rus is an important step towards resuming economic activity in Russia suspended by the coronavirus pandemic. It will also add to the successful economic cooperation between Russia and Italy. Barilla has been outperforming the market in Russia more than twice in recent years, its high-quality products are well known globally, and RDIF aims to support their localization in Russia via construction of new production facilities. Thanks to our joint project the company will introduce its leading production standards and create new jobs in the Moscow region," Kirill Dmitriev, RDIF CEO.