23 june 2008

RF Government presidium meeting press release (June 23, 2008)

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation at its meeting on June 23, 2008 made the following decisions on the issues on its agenda.

1. On the Federal Targeted Program "Scientific and Educational Human Resources for Innovation-Driven Russia" for 2009-2013

The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation has approved the draft of the federal targeted program Scientific and Educational Human Resources for Innovation-Driven Russia for 2009-2013, after including additional financing of activities to develop the training facilities of the State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education the Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University.

The Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Finance Ministry of Russia have been instructed to submit the updated draft of the said federal targeted program to the Government of the Russian Federation in due procedure before July 1, 2008.

The Russian Ministry of Regions, Finance Ministry and Culture Ministry have been instructed to study the issue raised during the meeting of allocating resources for capital repairs of the Tomsk Regional Youth Theatre and to submit the relevant proposals to the Government of the Russian Federation in due procedure.

2. On the Federal Targeted Program "Social and Economic Development of the Chechen Republic in 2008-2011"

The meeting approved the draft of the federal targeted program Social and Economic Development of the Chechen Republic in 2008-2011 (hereinafter "the Program") on the understanding that:

• provisions on annual updating by government customers of performance targets in implementing the program and the cost thereof will be dropped;
• the composition of the accounts payable subject to be covered out of the federal budget is determined.

The Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Regions, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Communications, and the Finance Ministry have been instructed, before September 1, 2008, to duly submit to the Government of the Russian Federation proposals on the distribution of federal budget financing among projects as part of implementing the Program in building a multiservice network and construction, reconstruction and restoration of inter-farm irrigation and amelioration systems and bases of the irrigation system operation and maintenance service that are objects of federal property.

It has been decided that the Ministry of Regions, the federal bodies of executive authority that act as government customers of the Program should conclude with the Government of the Chechen Republic agreements on the granting of corresponding subsidies out of the federal budget for the implementation of the Program, including the necessary performance indicators and the financial responsibility of the Government of the Chechen Republic for the fulfillment thereof.

The Ministry of Regions of Russia has been charged with organizing the monitoring of intended use of the federal budget resources made available to the Government of the Chechen Republic to finance the corresponding projects and measures under the Program.

3. On the draft federal law laying down the procedure for the establishment and activities of federal universities, including their organizational and legal form, administration, development of general educational programs as well as conditions for implementation and criteria of the effectiveness of the educational process and methods of integration of educational and scientific research activities.

The meeting approved in the main the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Activities of Federal Universities.

The Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Finance Ministry in conjunction with the other federal bodies of executive authority concerned have been instructed to finalize the draft of the said federal law taking into account the discussion that has been held, paying attention to:

• the definition of the concept "federal university";
• establishing criteria for selecting the higher education institutions that claim the status of a federal university;
• updating the procedure and conditions of financing federal universities.

It has also been decided that the finalized draft of the federal law On Introducing Amendments to Some Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Activities of Federal Universities should be submitted in due procedure to the Government of the Russian Federation within three days.

4. On submitting the Protocol on Introducing Amendments to the Treaty on the Formation of the Eurasian Economic Community of October 10, 2000 to the President of the Russian Federation for the purpose of introducing it for ratification

The Government of the Russian Federation has adopted the draft resolution on the issue.

5. On the Payment by the Russian Federation in 2008 of a lump-sum targeted contribution to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to finance the cost of preparing the report Overview of Approaches, Factors and Performance Indicators and Improvement of the Quality of Education in the Countries-Beneficiaries of the Program Education for Everyone in the amount of $US 425,500.

The meeting approved the draft resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation on the above issue.

June 26, 2008,
Moscow.

* Decisions on the items of the agenda are taken with due account of the remarks and proposals made at the Government meeting and are issued as official documents of the Government of the Russian Federation.