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Russia's special-purpose investment fund could receive Rub 35-37 bln ($1.2-1.3 bln) in 2007 (More) Russia's July international currency reserves jumped 6% or $15.1 bln, to reach $265.6 bln. These figures were shown in a press released posted on the web site of the Central Bank of Russia. (More) Cash surplus was 8.7% of GDP in January-June, 2006. (More) Russia's foreign trade surplus was $86.2 bln in H106. (More) FSB and Defense Ministry to Develop Kuriles (More) On July 4-6th, 2006 the working trip of Minister of economic development and trade of the Russian Federation G.O.Gref to Kingdom Netherlands took place (More) |
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News about Russia 
News / FSB and Defense Ministry to Develop Kuriles |  |
| The administration has approved the 17.9-billion ruble federal target program for the socio-economic development of the Kurile Islands through 2015. The main topic of discussion for the program was not the budget outlays on the isolated islands, which are also claimed by Japan and where the population is shrinking faster than anywhere else in Russia, but whether civilian agencies or the Defense Ministry and FSB would handle the money. That issue will be settled by the administration later. Most of the money, 14.2 billion rubles, is to come from the federal budget, with 1 billion rubles to come from the Sakhalin Region budget and the remainder from private investors. The program, as it was presented by Minister of Economic Development and Trade German Gref, indicated that the Ministry of Regional development and Ministry of Transportation would be the main distributors of the money. Those agencies are to see to the construction of roads, a dock and a year-around airport. Gref promises that, thanks to those efforts, the islands' population will rise to 28,000, the harvest of bioresources there will double and industrial output rise by 50 percent. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov suggested yesterday that miner displaced by the closure of mines in Sakhalin could be resettled on the Kuriles. Since there is no coal mining on the islands, however, it is not clear that they would be willing to move there. Sakhalin Region Governor Ivan Malakhov wanted the “allotted funds to go through the administration of Sakhalin Region and permission be given to hold competitions.” The governor also wanted the authority to manage fishing in the border zone. Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov suggested that his ministry build 12 dual-purpose facilities, including an airport. Ivanov pointed out that “there is no construction complex” on the Kuriles and suggested using soldiers to do the building. The FSB is also busily preparing documents. Gref suggested that the Defense Ministry act as contractor and that the Sakhalin governor reach an agreement with the Defense and Transportation Ministries. Gref also said that an addition 6 billion rubles will be allotted in the 2006 budget for the socio-economic problems of the Russian Far East. Of that sum, 1.5 billion rubles will go to the Kuriles as well. Petr Netreba | |