8-K

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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934



       Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 21, 2005

                               ALTRIA GROUP, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


          Virginia                      1-8940                   13-3260245
(State or other jurisdiction         (Commission              (I.R.S. Employer
       of incorporation)             File Number)            Identification No.)


120 Park Avenue, New York, New York                              10017-5592
(Address of principal executive offices)                         (Zip Code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (917) 663-4000

         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
    CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
    CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
    Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

     On December 21, 2005, Philip Morris International Inc., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Altria Group, Inc., issued a press release attached hereto as
Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.

     In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in
this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed
"filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section. The
information in this Current Report shall not be incorporated by reference into
any filing or other document pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing or
document.


Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c)  Exhibits

     99.1 Philip Morris International Inc. Press Release dated December 21, 2005
          (furnished pursuant to Item 7.01).




                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                        ALTRIA GROUP, INC.

                                        By:    /s/ G. PENN HOLSENBECK
                                               ---------------------------------
                                        Name:  G. Penn Holsenbeck
                                        Title: Vice President, Associate General
                                               Counsel and Corporate Secretary

DATE: December 21, 2005




                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
  No.                              Description
- -------                            -----------

 99.1    Philip Morris International Inc. Press Release dated December 21, 2005.

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

CONTACT: Philip Morris International
         http://www.www.philipmorrisinternational.com


                     THE CHINA NATIONAL TOBACCO CORPORATION
                         AND PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL
   ANNOUNCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LONG-TERM STRATEGIC COOPERATIVE PARTNERSHIP

            Agreements Provide for the Licensed Manufacture and Sale
                of Marlboro Cigarettes in China and Establishment
         of an International Equity Joint Venture Company in Switzerland

BEIJING - December 21, 2005 - The China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC) and
Philip Morris International (PMI), an international operating company of Altria
Group, Inc., (NYSE: MO), have reached agreement on the licensed production in
China of PMI's Marlboro brand and the establishment of an international equity
joint venture between China National Tobacco Import and Export Group Corporation
(CNTIEGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of CNTC, and PMI. The signing of the two
agreements today at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing symbolizes a
substantial step forward taken by the parties in establishing a long-term
strategic cooperative partnership.

In accordance with relevant provisions of the Law of the People's Republic of
China on Tobacco Monopoly, Marlboro, owned by PMI, will be produced under
license at CNTC's affiliate factories, and will be distributed by CNTC's
official distributors nationwide in China.

The international joint venture company to be established by CNTIEGC and PMI, in
which each party will hold 50% of the shares of the company, will be based in
Lausanne, Switzerland. Following its establishment, this joint venture company
will offer consumers a comprehensive portfolio of Chinese heritage brands
globally, expand the export of tobacco products and tobacco materials from
China, and explore other business development opportunities. The joint venture
company will utilize both CNTC's and PMI's extensive sales and distribution
infrastructure, financial resources and management experiences to develop
business opportunities worldwide.

"The agreements signed today with PMI will allow us to exert our strengths and
create significant opportunities for sustained long-term mutual growth and
commercial success on a global scale", said Li Keming, Deputy Chief
Administrator of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.



"Our objective for cooperation with CNTC is to build a long-term global
strategic partnership and the signing of these two agreements today constitutes
an important and meaningful step in that direction", said Andre Calantzopoulos,
Chief Executive Officer of PMI. "As soon as we have received the necessary
worldwide regulatory approvals, we look forward to realizing the unique promise
offered by this partnership over time."

It is expected by the parties that the production and sale of Marlboro
cigarettes under license in China and the sale of Chinese style brands in
selected international markets through the joint venture company will commence
in the first half of 2006. Both CNTC and PMI anticipate that these agreements
will not result in a material impact on their immediate financial results.

China National Tobacco Corporation
- ----------------------------------

The China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC) was founded in 1982. As of the end
of 2004, it had 33 provincial tobacco companies, 17 tobacco industrial
companies, 57 cigarettes industrial enterprises, over 1,000 commercial
enterprises, and national companies specializing in leaf tobacco, cigarette
sales, tobacco machinery, materials, import and export, as well as other
institutions. More information is available at www.tobacco.gov.cn

2004 Results
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Production volume                                    1,874 billion units
Sales volume                                         1,878 billion units
Industrial and commercial taxes and profits          RMB210 billion

Philip Morris International Inc.
- --------------------------------

Philip Morris International Inc., with business headquarters in Lausanne,
Switzerland, held a 14.5% share of the international cigarette market in 2004.
Its brands, led by Marlboro and L&M, are sold in over 160 countries around the
world. PMI is an operating company of Altria Group, Inc. More information is
available at www.philipmorrisinternational.com.

2004 Results
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Net revenues                                USD $ 39.5 billion
Operating companies income                  USD $  6.6 billion
Unit volume                                      761.4 billion
Worldwide market share                                   14.5%


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