Russian government to consider medium-term economic programme

The Russian government is to consider in May a draft medium-term programme of action in the economic sphere based on principles of the policy pursued by the Cabinet of Ministers and the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) for this year. This was disclosed on Friday by Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov who opened an extraordinary session of the government. The session is to consider a draft statement compiled jointly with the Central Bank on economic policy for 2001 and certain aspects of medium-term strategy. According to Mr Kasyanov, in January-February 2001 the budgetary, tax and structural policies of the Cabinet of Ministers for this year were actively developed. All of them have been coordinated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in principle. Mikhail Kasyanov reported that the day before they together with CBR head Viktor Gerashchenko completed the wording of the statement, and vice-premier Alexei Kudrin, in his turn, said that the provisions of the document found support of the IMF.

Visit www.rian.ru for RIA 'Novosti' news.