The Russian government is considering a project for creating a powerful aircraft corporation on the basis of existing factories, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Zhukov said today at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, held before the head of state left for St Petersburg.
"The Ministry of Industry and Energy has submitted to the government a project for creating, on the basis of our plants, a powerful aircraft corporation which will be competitive in the world," Zhukov said. He said it was a very important project because other industries follow the aircraft industry. "In the 2005 budget we have a four-fold increase in allocations for aircraft building, and a total of R15bn is expected to be spent on developing this industry," he said.
Zhukov also told Putin about his meeting with State Duma leadership today to discuss a medium-term development programme for 2005-2008. "It envisages the development of practically all industries: education, health care, all branches of industry, and agriculture," he said. "We believe it is important to discuss the programme with all public forces, and first and foremost in the State Duma, before discussing it in the government," he said.
He said it was agreed at the meeting to hold hearings in all main committees of the State Duma and hear out deputies' comments on the programme. 

Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
BBC Monitoring