PARIS -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is building its presence in the fast-growing Russian telecommunications market following the announcement today of a major expansion of its partnership with Rostechnologii (SC Rostechnologii), Russia’s largest high-technology corporation.

The two companies have signed a far-reaching research and development pact, intended to accelerate the deployment of advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE) – or 4G – mobile services, new network systems and ground-breaking transmission technologies to meet surging global demand for high-speed broadband connections.

As part of the extended agreement between Rostechnologii and Alcatel-Lucent, the two companies will create a new research and development center in Moscow, expected to employ several hundred highly-skilled engineers drawn from both organizations. The joint venture will be set-up with Rostechnologii’s holding company – RusElectronics. The center will be managed by Alcatel-Lucent and will be fully integrated into Alcatel-Lucent’s global network of R&D centers.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)