BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch InBev (>> Anheuser-Busch Interbrew) said on Wednesday it welcomed the approval of its takeover of SABMiller (>> SABMiller plc) by the United States Department of Justice, and reaffirmed its intention to close the deal by the end of the year.

Anheuser-Busch said in a statement "it has entered into a consent decree with the United States Department of Justice, which clears the way for U.S. approval of its recommended combination with SABMiller".

"The company reaffirmed its expectation to close the global transaction in the second half of 2016," it added.

The Justice Department's antitrust division is expected to announce a settlement agreement later on Wednesday allowing the merger to proceed.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio, editing by David Evans)

Stocks treated in this article : Anheuser-Busch Interbrew, SABMiller plc
Stocks treated in this article : Anheuser-Busch Interbrew, SABMiller plc