MOSCOW, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's largest beer producer Baltika has begun licensed beer production at an Independent Distillers plant in Australia, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The company already has licensed production in Ukraine, Britain and Uzbekistan.

The first batch of Australian-produced Baltika No. 3 Classic has already been sent to shops. The average price of a six-bottle pack is about 16 Australian dollars ($13).

"Baltika is the only Russian beer on the Australian market. Since export supplies began in 2004, Baltika No. 3 has gained popularity among both the Russian-speaking population of Australia and local beer lovers," the company's export sales chief, Dmitry Kiselev said.

Baltika owns 11 breweries across Russia and one in Azerbaijan, and accounts for 37% of the domestic beer market. It exports its products to more than 50 countries.

The company's net profit calculated according to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) grew 11% in 2008, to 15.5 billion rubles ($500 million).