The Russian Commission for Foreign Investment headed by prime-minister Vladimir Putin cleared the proposed merger of Telenor and Altimo’s holdings in Russian operator Vimpelcom and Ukraine’s Kyivstar, reports RBC Daily. Telenor and Altimo expect to complete the deal by mid-year. Under the proposals, Alfa will own 38.5 percent and Telenor 38.8 percent of the new company, with the rest held by VimpelCom minority shareholders.