And because the market had been largely informal, there have been no major protests by incumbents against the ride-hailing services, unlike in cities like London or Paris, where taxi companies and drivers are more heavily regulated.

Still, Uber faced similar difficulties as it did in China against Yandex in Russia and the other countries in which Yandex.Taxi operates, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Yandex.Taxi’s operations in Russia are about twice the size of Uber, according to data the Russian company released to shareholders.

Yandex is an incumbent in a region where the government does not always welcome foreign business. Moreover, the company, often called the “Google of Russia,” owns and operates a significant mapping database, an advantage over Uber. And Yandex, a well-established internet brand in Eastern Europe, is able to heavily market its services to potential customers through its online properties — a luxury Uber does not have.

Players on both sides say that rather than spending money fighting for market share, a deal made the most sense.

Users will benefit from shorter wait times, the companies said, as well as more reliable service. They will also be able to take advantage of global “roaming”; Yandex.Taxi customers may use the app in countries in which Uber operates to call cars, which will be fulfilled by Uber’s drivers. Uber customers, similarly, will be able to do the same in areas in which Yandex.Taxi is the predominant ride-hailing service.

The deal has been in the works for months, with executives like Emil Michael, Uber’s former senior vice president of business, and Cameron Poetzscher, the current vice president of corporate development, determining the details.

“This deal is a testament to our exceptional growth in the region and helps Uber continue to build a sustainable global business,” Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, head of Uber in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in a news release.