Russian Prime Minister On Economic Development Program

In his opening speech at an extended Friday session of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said that Russia had approached the end of last year boasting a remarkable economic revival. We have successfully maintained the benign trends but sooner or later the positive economic factors will run out, added the premier. Therefore, maintains Kasyanov, the major task facing the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade is to draw up a well-pondered and sound program of economic development. It is crucial to switch over to another developmental model running on increased investments and high domestic demand, said the prime minister. Mikhail Kasyanov branded the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade as a locomotive of economic reform in the country and thanked the ministry's staffers for their responsible, government approach to the problems they were facing.