Edinburgh-based brewer Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) yesterday revealed it has made a further push into fast-growing emerging markets with the announcement that it is to invest between £30m and £36m in a Vietnamese brewery.

Edinburgh-based brewer Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) yesterday revealed it has made a further push into fast-growing emerging markets with the announcement that it is to invest between £30m and £36m in a Vietnamese brewery.

Confirming plans originally outlined in its 2007 annual report, the company said it would be setting up a brewery in Ho Chi Minh City in the south of the country. It is expected to have an annual output of 75 million litres of Kronenbourg.

S&N believes the product will gel with Vietnam's status as a former French colony. It is to import the beer until the brewery starts operation, which is expected for the second half of next year.

A spokesman said: "It is in a very fast-growing part of the world. It has the right demographics."

Kronenbourg Vietnam is a joint venture with state tobacco group Vinatab.

Meanwhile, it appears that a legal dispute over another of its emerging market joint ventures, Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH), which is based in the former Soviet Union, could come to an end by the summer.

A chairman has been appointed to the Swedish arbitration panel which is to oversee a dispute between S&N and its 50/50 partner, Carlsberg.

S&N believes this could mean a decision being made by June.

The UK brewer, which also makes Foster's and Newcastle Brown Ale, wants the tribunal to force Danish giant Carlsberg to sell its half of the business after joining with Dutch brewer Heineken to launch a bid for S&N.

It also alleges that Heineken has been provided with information about fast-growing BBH which has not been given to other S&N shareholders.

Last month, Carlsberg and Heineken raised their proposed bid to 750p a share from October's 720p opening bid, valuing S&N at £7.3bn.

S&N shares closed last night at 739.5p, down 5.5p.