The fourth issue

** President of the Russian Federation and his administration **

President V. Putin held a working meeting with the Minister of Health and Social Development M. Zurabov , at which issues of social policy were discussed.

** Government of the Russian Federation **

The government at its next meeting, chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister D. Medvedev
- approved the plan (program) of privatization for 2007.

- supported the investment program of the RAO UES of Russia and its subsidiaries OJSC Federal Network Company, Hydogk OJSC, System Operator OJSC for 2007 in the amount of 160 billion rubles.

* * * Following the meeting, the head of the energy holding A. Chubais said that RAO UES of Russia, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry of the Russian Federation should come to a compromise for the allocation of 50 billion rubles from the federal budget for investment for three days.

The government commission approved three projects applying for co -financing from the investment fund of the Russian Federation. In total, approved projects apply for 59.7 billion rubles of state funds. This is a project for the creation of railway infrastructure necessary for the development of polymetallic deposits in the southeast of the Chita region, the construction of the Oryol tunnel near Neva in St. Petersburg as part of the development of the Volga-Baltic waterway and the construction of a paid section of the road to enter the Moscow Ring Road of the Moscow-Minsk federal highway.

* * * During the consideration of the project to create transport infrastructure for the development of mineral resources of the South-East of the Chita region, the representative of the initiator of the project “Norilsk Nickel” M. Finsky said that the total cost of the project is 166.79 billion rubles, including 70.06 billion rubles. with a length of 375 km, and 96.73 billion rubles - for the development of the main deposits of polymetallic ores.

Initially, the project stipulated that the construction of the railway line will be carried out in 2007-2013, and the implementation of the mountainous part of the project, which involves the construction of quarries and four plants, in 2013-2015. However, G. Gref proposed to reduce the construction of the railway, noting that the delay in the project is unprofitable to neither the state nor the enterprise. An investment project is assumed that 31% of the amount of financing will be conducted at the expense of the investment fund (about 40 billion rubles), 69% - at the expense of Norilsk Nickel.

G. Groz also called for connecting to the implementation of the Russian Railways project. “Let's get at least 5 billion, we will get Russian Railways at least for this amount, it is important to have such an interested partner,” the head of Mert, referring to the representative of Norilsk Nickel.

** Federal Assembly **

Speaker S. S. Mironov headed the Federal Board of Trustees of the Cadet Corps, the Suvorov and Nakhimov schools, the press service of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CHG reports.

** International and regional news **

President of Ukraine V. Yushchenko introduced to the Verkhovna Raduanture of the leader of the Party of Regions V. Yanukovych for the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The head of the Ministry of Economic Development , Gref , said that the privatization of the airport in the city of Sochi is planned to be carried out this year. “Probably autumn,” the minister added.

** Political parties and movements **

The State Duma deputy O. Chein headed the list of candidates for deputies from the Rodina party in the elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Astrakhan Region, the regional election commission said.

** Scandals and incidents. Rumors **

The Golovinsky Court of Moscow recognized as legal to the reference of the ex-head of the Yukos NK M. Khodorkovsky to serve the eight-year sentence in the colony of Krasnokamensk, the Chita region.

** Banking news **

The owners of AIS-Bank LLC (Ukraine, Kiev) agreed to sell a financial institution to the Russian Bank "Russian Standard" . “The negotiations are over. The preliminary agreement has been signed, but the transaction has not yet been completed,” said the honorary president of the AIS Corporation, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on finance and banking activities D. Svyatash, who is called the owner of the Ukrainian bank.

** Companies news **

The net profit of OJSC Corporation of the VSMPO Avism for RAS in the first half of 2006 increased 2.4 times to 3.435 billion rubles from 1.423 billion rubles in the first half of 2005, the company said.

** announcement of tomorrow's events **

The first deputy prime minister of the Government of the Russian Federation D. Medvedev will hold an exit meeting of the Presidium of the Presidential Council for the implementation of national projects and demography issues. The heads of the constituent entities of the Federation, including the mayor of Moscow, Yu. Luzhkov , were invited to participate in the meeting.

** Birthdays **

August 4 - Burbulis Gennady Eduardovich (1945), Chairman of the Commission of the Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the methodology for the implementation of constitutional powers of the Federation Council.

Read about the further development of events in the next issue of the monitor tomorrow at 10 o’clock.