Sberbank of Russia and Western Union signed an agreement

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Moscow, January 20, 2011 –Sberbank (RTS: SBER, MICEX: SBER03) and The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) today announced an agreement to offer international money-transfer services at Sberbank branches across Russia.

Sberbank, the oldest and biggest bank in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, is expected to become the largest Western Union partner bank in the region. According to the agreement, Western Union® services initially will be available at more than 8,000 Sberbank branches in 2011.

The two companies plan to expand the network further when Western Union international money transfers become available for consumers at all Sberbank branches that are integrated into the bank’s BLITZ money-transfer system (more than 9,000 locations in 2,800 cities and residential areas across Russia).

“Cooperation with such a large player in the market of international money transfers as Western Union enables us to offer our clients new services and expand our activities in the field of international money transfers. We are confident that this agreement will be beneficial for both parties,” said Alexander Torbakhov, Deputy Board Chairman of Sberbank of Russia.

"With Sberbank's extensive branch network the Western Union services will now be available across all major regional centers across the country, as well as in small Russian towns. This collaboration with Russia’s largest bank offers added value and additional choice to Sberbank clients who will be able to send and receive money quickly and reliably", said Jan Hillered, Senior Vice President, Europe & CIS, Western Union.

It is expected that the first year of the partnership will be focused on the consumer-to-consumer Western Union money-transfer service at Sberbank branches. Afterward, the two companies would consider launching account-based money transfer; that is, enabling the bank’s clients to transfer money directly from their bank accounts online to any of the 386,000 Western Union Agent locations in 200 countries and territories around the world.

-ENDS-

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. The Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services are offered through a combined network of approximately 435,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories. In 2009, The Western Union Company completed 196 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $71 billion of principal between consumers, and 415 million business payments.

Western Union entered the Russian market in 1991. Currently over one third of Russian banks are cooperation partners of Western Union. In the CIS countries more than 35,000 locations are part of the Western Union Agent network. For additional information on the new tariffs and nearest Agent locations call our Customer Service Center at 8(800)200-22-32 (the call is free).

Contacts for the media:

Nina Polomoshnova
Anna Chekhomova
Maslov PR
Тел: +7 (495) 981-06-09
Nina.Polomoshnova@maslov-pr.com

Anna.Chekhomova@maslov-pr.com

About Sberbank of Russia

Sberbank today is the largest credit institution in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, accounting for about 30% of the aggregate Russian banking assets. Central Bank of Russia owns over 60% of Sberbank’s ordinary shares, being Sberbank’s controlling shareholder. The remaining shares are held by more than 260,000 institutional and private investors. Sberbank has the largest countrywide branch network with 17 regional head offices and more than 20,000 retail outlets and inner structural departments as well as subsidiary banks in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus.

General license of Bank of Russia for banking operations 1481.

Official website –www.sberbank.ru

Contacts for the media:

Alexander Baziyan
Department of Public Relations
тел. +7(495) 957 5721

media@sberbank.ru

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