In September, Alibaba partnered with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the sovereign wealth fund of the Russian Federation, MegaFon, a pan-Russian operator of digital opportunities, and Mail.Ru Group, the leading Internet and IT company in Russia with growing international exposure, to form a new strategic partnership to integrate Russia's key consumer Internet and e-commerce platforms and launch a leading social commerce joint venture that will serve Russia and the rest of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The joint venture will leverage the existing business of AliExpress Russia and will offer unmatched value proposition for merchants, consumers and Internet users across Russia and the CIS.