 RUSSIA IN FACTS |
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Today`s Headline News for January 19, 2004
The following is a digest of headline news as of 5:30 p.m. on January 19, 2004: RUSSIAN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION GROWTH
UP 7% IN 2003
"This is the final data for 2003," he said.
The final GDP growth estimate will be issued by the middle
of the week, but the index will be "no less than 6.9%," Gref
Year-on-year industrial production growth reached 7% in 2003, Russian Minister of Economic Development and Trade
German Gref said at a Monday conference chaired by President Vladimir Putin.
Russia had 374 banks with charter capital in excess of 150
million rubles at the end of 2003, up 28% from 293 at the start
said. RUSSIAN BANKING SECTOR CAPITAL GROWS 21% IN 2003
The aggregate charter capital of Russian lending institutions grew 21% in 2003, from 300.39 billion rubles to 362.01
billion rubles.
of last year, the Central Bank said.
Russia had 1,329 lending institutions at the end of 2003, unchanged from the end of 2002. RUSSIA TO SELL $1.5BLN
AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO INDIA
The Indian government and the Russian Defense Ministry are set to sign a deal for the Indian Navy's purchase of
the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier.
The contracts on the delivery of the Russian heavy aircraft- carrier Admiral Gorshkov and the deck aircraft to the
Indian Navy are worth a total of $1.5 billion, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told Russian reporters on arriving in
Delhi on Monday. The carrier is to be delivered by 2008.
Ivanov said the two countries' military-technical cooperation totals $33 billion since 1960. GOVT ACCEPTS NORTH
EUROPEAN GAS PIPELINE PROPOSAL
The Russian government has accepted the North European gas pipeline proposal developed by the Energy Ministry and
Gazprom in coordination with federal executive agencies, the government's information department said on
Monday.
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a resolution instructing the Energy Ministry and Gazprom to draft documents
for the pipeline's construction. UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN GAS CONSORTIUM TO START FEB 1
The Ukrainian-Russian gas transportation consortium is to begin work on February 1, 2004, when it starts developing a
new gas pipeline to link Bohorodchany in the Ivano- Frankivsk region and Uzhhorod in the Trans-Carpathian region.
"Ukraine's interests have been observed fully. We have obtained additional resources and we shall start
implementing the project shortly. Ukraine has signed the protocol. Russia has initialed it and, I think, will sign it,
as well," said Yuriy Boiko, CEO of the Naftohaz Ukraine national company. CHECHNYA CALLS FOR SAUDI HELP TO REBUILD
ECONOMY
Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov on Saturday called on Saudi companies to help rebuild Chechen industry, above all
its oil sector, and promised them "substantial profits if they invest."
"We have done a lot of work, not only on issues relating to the attitude toward the Chechen Republic, but also
on relations between Saudi Arabia and the Russian Federation," Kadyrov said.
The Saudi authorities are ready to work with Russia on preventing terrorism, he said.
"Those who said Saudi Arabia is supporting terrorists said so without knowing the situation in Saudi Arabia and
the policy of the Saudi administration," Kadyrov said. CIS AND THE BALTICS GAZPROM SHUTS DOWN GEORGIAN ITERA
CONSUMERS
Latvia saw a budget deficit of 90.8 million lati, or 1.6%
of GDP in 2003, almost half of the budgeted deficit of 169
Gazprom has demanded that Georgian gas pipeline company Tbilgaz cut off gas to Itera customers, the Georgian company
told Interfax on Saturday.
Disagreements between Gazprom and Itera may leave 50% of Georgian consumers without gas, Tbilgaz said.
The company said Gazprom announced plans to limit transportation of Itera gas via Gazprom's trunk pipeline back
in 2003. LATVIA SEES 90.8 MLN LATI DEFICIT IN 2003
million lati, the Finance Ministry said.
The official exchange rate of the lats on January 19 stood at 0.536 lati/$1.
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