Government to increase financing of antiterrorist measures by $94.28m

The Russian government plans to approve a program that provides for an increase in the financing of antiterrorist measures in Russia by RUR3bn ($94.28m) after the adoption of the 2003 budget draft in general. Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin gave this information to reporters after a meeting of the Coordination Council of the four centrist parliamentary groups (Yedinstvo, Fatherland-All Russia, People's Deputy, and Regions of Russia) today.

According to him, the government will be able to allocate these funds during the implementation of the 2003 budget. "Such a possibility will be specified in a drafted resolution of the State Duma on the adoption of the Federal Law on the Federal Budget for 2003," Kudrin declared. He pointed out that now it was difficult to specify the exact sum to be allocated to supporting antiterrorist measures, since "additional funds to be allocated for the same purpose of fighting terrorism may be saved during the implementation of the budget."