KYIV, Dec 9 – Philip Morris Ukraine, a large tobacco manufacturer, will soon file a motion with the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington in response to the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) on a UAH 1.2 billion fine.

"Several years ago, the Antimonopoly Committee issued permits for the concentration of a company that practically 'swallowed' all distribution in the tobacco market. We actually had no choice with whom to work with. What happened next? Over time, the same Antimonopoly Committee declared that we, the producers, were to blame for 'establishing a monopoly,' and issued a huge fine to the producers," said the company's CEO Kostas Salvaras in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.