Pepsi still interested in PBG, PepsiAmericas: CEO

DOMODEDOVO, Russia (Reuters) - PepsiCo Inc (PEP.N) is still interested in taking over Pepsi Bottling Group Inc (PBG.N) and PepsiAmericas Inc (PAS.N), the chief executive of the U.S. soft drink and snack maker told Reuters on Wednesday.

"Our offer is out for both companies and we hope that at some point to reach its conclusion," Indra Nooyi said at the opening of a new Pepsi plant in the Moscow region.

"The offer is still out to them," she said. She did not specify whether the offer was open on the same terms as before.

PepsiCo last month hinted it could walk away from the proposed takeover of PBG, which laid out several reasons why PepsiCo's bid was too low, especially since Pepsi Bottling's performance was improving as cash-strapped consumers buy cheaper drinks.

Together with PBG, in which PepsiCo already owns 33 percent, the U.S. beverage giant inaugurated its new plant on Wednesday, planned to become its largest soft drink plant in the world, a $180 million facility south of Moscow in the town of Domodedovo.

The plant will produce Pepsi products for delivery to Russia and export to its former Soviet neighbors.

"Russia is vitally important to PepsiCo and to our partner, Pepsi Bottling Group. Together, we have invested billions of dollars here. Even more, we will continue to invest in Russia," Nooyi told reporters.

As part of a delegation of U.S. company heads with interests in Russia, Nooyi accompanied U.S. President Barack Obama to Russia this week for his first summit since his inauguration, which helped warm political ties but brought little new trade.

Several U.S. business leaders called on Russia to improve rule of law and the two sides exchanged allegations of protectionism, but Nooyi said that Russia, until recently a booming consumer market, had been a hospitable place to work.

"I think Russia is extremely welcoming to foreign investors and does its utmost to get people speedy approvals to make investments happen," Nooyi told the briefing on Wednesday.

The company pledged on Monday to invest $1 billion in Russia over three years, on top of $3 billion in the past decade.

PepsiCo has seven plants in Russia, including a juice maker bought for nearly $2 billion, one of the top U.S. investments in Russia and the biggest foreign transaction by PepsiCo.

Russia, along with China and India, is critical for PepsiCo and its rival Coca-Cola Co (KO.N), which are looking to boost profits as recession and changing consumer habits limit sales growth in the United States.

Coca-Cola and its Greek bottling unit are currently completing a new, 120 million euro plant in the southern Russian town of Rostov -- its 13th soft drink factory in Russia.

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by David Cowell)