The following issues are scheduled for discussion at the Government Presidium meeting on March 19, 2009:

1. Reviewed forecast of Russia's socio-economic development in 2009

The guidelines for Russia's socio-economic development in 2009 have been reviewed to take into account the consequences of the global economic crisis, the effects of measures taken to improve economic sustainability, and the development results of 2008.

The global economic crisis, which has been gaining in scale since the second half of 2008, is having a growing negative influence on Russia's economic development. A dramatic fall of prices of Russia's main exports and deteriorating conditions for extending credits and foreign loans have slowed down the country's economic growth to 1.1% in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. Overall, GDP growth rate was 5.6% in 2008.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, industrial production decreased by 6.1% compared to the same period of 2007. Manufacturing activities fell by 7.7%, the real after-tax incomes decreased by 5.8%, and investment into fixed assets, by 2.3%.

Negative trends of the end of 2008 persisted in January 2009. According to the Ministry of Economic Development, GDP fell by 8.8% compared to January 2008 and in January 2009 this falling stood at 2.4% (excluding seasonal factors) compared to December 2008.

Global economic forecast

The global economy is having a considerable effect on the dynamics of demand for Russian exports and their prices.

Following a protracted period of economic growth (2004-2007), when the average annual growth rate was about 5%, the growth of the global economy slowed down to 3.4% in 2008 and became negative in the fourth quarter of the year.

It is expected that 2009 will be the worst year since 1945 in terms of the global growth rate. Global GDP is expected to fall by 0.3% (2.6%-2.1% in the United States and the Euro zone), with the biggest decline registered in the first and second quarters.

The growth of developing countries will slow down. China's economy may show the largest decrease in the growth rate over the past 20 years.

	2007	2008	2009
World	4.9	3.4	-0.3
United States	2.2	1.1	-2.6
Euro zone	2.6	0.9	-2.1
Japan	2.1	-0.1	-3.0
China	11.9	9.2	6.0

Basic scenario of the reviewed forecast
The forecast of Russia's socio-economic development in 2009 was drafted on the basis of the current dynamics of the global economic development, as well as the dynamics and forecast of global prices of the basic energy resources and commodities.

The basic scenario is based on the average price of Urals crude in 2009 at $41 per barrel. The scenario takes into account the implementation of an anti-crisis package aimed at improving the economic situation in Russia. Development parameters were calculated with due account for the implementation of measures approved in principle by the Russian Government.

Under the basic scenario, the federal budget deficit should not exceed 8.0% of GDP.

Basic macroeconomic parameters

1. Dynamics of supply and demand

The economic decline reported in the fourth quarter of 2008 is likely to continue in the first two quarters of 2009 because the anti-crisis measures will take positive effect only by the end of the second quarter.

It is expected that the GDP growth rate will slow down by 4-5 percentage points in the first six months of 2009. Investment may fall by 15-18 pp.

As a result of a decline in the global prices and physical volumes in 2009, exports will decrease by 45%. This will result in shrinking investment activity against the backdrop of a weak growth of trade and stagnation of the people's real incomes. As a result, GDP will fall by 2.2% whereas trade will grow by 0.3% and investment will decrease by 13.8%. The capital expenditures of the consolidated budget will fall by approximately 1%-3.1% of GDP, compared to 2008. The volume of investment loans will fall by 64%.

Industrial production is expected to fall by 7.4% in 2009.

2. Fuel and energy, export

The imputed production of oil and gas condensate has been estimated at 482 million metric tons in 2009, or 98.9% of the figure for 2008.

Export is forecast at 237 million metric tons, or 97.5% of 2008, over cuts in production.

The forecast for oil production in 2009 is based on the lack of financing for maintaining production at old, depleted fields, mostly in West Siberia, and for developing new deposits in East Siberia and the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province, and takes into account the current system of taxation of the oil sector.

The forecast for natural gas production in 2009 includes the possible reduction of the domestic demand as a result of declining industrial production (steel, construction materials, chemical fertiliser, and other productions). Given the sharp decline in the demand for natural gas on the domestic and foreign markets in January-March 2009, gas production may total 620-644 billion cu m, of which 190-196 billion cu m will be exported.

The upper ceiling for natural gas production and export has been calculated on the basis of the need to satisfy the demand during the winter season of 2009-2010 and the expected growth of foreign demand over the prospective decrease in export prices of natural gas in the second half of 2009.

The forecast is based on the planned advance of Asia Pacific countries to the gas market (gas export within the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia's Far East, the commissioning of an LNG plant with an annual capacity of 9.6 million metric tons).

Coal production is expected at some 311 million metric tons (95.4% of 2008) due to a dramatic decrease in the demand for metal products, the decreased production of electricity, and the reduced demand for coal on foreign markets to 94 million metric tons.

Petrochemicals. In 2009, oil refining has been estimated at 237 million metric tons, with the export of petrochemicals at 117.3 million metric tons, given a minor increase in domestic consumption (by 0.2% compared to 2008).

Electricity production. In view of the falling industrial production and reduced growth rate in other sectors of the national economy, the domestic consumption of electricity has been assessed at 1,002.2 billion KWh, or 98.3% of 2008.

3. Inflation

Yearly consumer inflation is expected at 13% in 2009.

Deteriorating loan conditions and growing interest rate on loans will have a negative effect on inflation. This will primarily reduce the demand for imported goods and increase the expenditures of those producers who use loan resources. The growth of expenditures will be also spurred by the increased prices of import material resources.

To finance the budget deficit, the Government will use its financial reserves, although this will increase the inflation pressure. On the other hand, this will help to support the demand and facilitate the growth of supply of Russian-made goods in conditions of a sharp fall in the price-related competition of imports.

Inflation will be contained by demand limitations caused by a reduced solvent demand from individuals and companies.

Another positive factor keeping inflation down will be the falling global prices of foodstuffs and material resources and commodities (petrochemicals, metals, and other goods). This will restrain the growth of prices of goods sold on foreign markets, which will have a positive effect on consumers' spending and will partly neutralise the consequences of rouble devaluation.

4. Industrial production

Industrial production will fall by 7.4% in 2009 (by 9.7% in manufacturing). The largest decline is expected in metallurgy, construction materials, mechanical engineering, timber processing and woodworking, textiles and garments, leather and footwear, pulp and paper, chemicals, resins and plastics sectors. The decline will be smaller in food production.

5. Social sphere: labour and unemployment

The forecast for the number of the employed has been reviewed to 67.2 million people (including the demographic factor). The number of jobless will grow to 6 million people in 2009, or 8.2% of the population.

In view of the situation on the labour market, the number of the officially registered unemployed will grow to 2.8 million people.

The real wage is expected to fall to 95.9% of the 2008 level. A decline in the incomes of hired labour and revenues from rent and business operation will cut the real income of the people to 91.7% of the 2008 figure, which will influence the people's spending and saving.

Despite changes in the economic situation, the state has pledged to fulfil its obligation to increase salaries in the budget sector as well as social and retirement pensions.

The forecast takes into account an increase in spending on salaries at federal budget organisations, which should ensure a smooth transition to an efficient operation of the new payments systems.

The basic part of retirement pensions in 2009 will be indexed at a pace that will allow increasing and maintaining the social pension at the pensioners' subsistence level in 2009. The insured part of the labour pensions will be indexed ahead of inflation to support its growth potential.

The Ministry of Economic Development expects the subsistence level to grow by an average of 758 roubles in 2009, to 5,351 roubles.

The bulk of revenue and a growing share of people's savings will be spent on consumption. As a result, the growth of retail trade is expected to remain positive in 2009, 100.3%, while the decline in the consumption of paid services will not exceed 0.1%.

In 2009, consumer preferences are expected to change in favour of cheaper goods, with the low-income groups of population buying mostly foods and basic necessities.

These trends will change the structure of retail trade turnover, with a reduction of non-food sales and an increase of food purchases. The demand for foods sensitive to price changes will decline, and purchases of durables are expected to reduce considerably. Obligatory paid services such as rent, utility, transport and communication fees and some personal services will constitute the bulk of household spending on paid services.

2. Draft programme of the Government's anti-crisis measures

The Ministry of Economic Development presented to the Government materials on this issue, including the basic measures to be taken by the Government and the Central Bank to improve the economic situation in 2009.

The Ministry pointed out that the Government implemented the first anti-crisis package in October-December 2008, including crucial measures aimed at ensuring stability of the country's financial and banking system, supporting the real economy sector (systemic measures) and individual sectors, encouraging the development of small and medium-sized business, and regulating the employment market and providing social support to the people.

Under the draft programme, in 2009 the Government will highlight seven priorities:

- full implementation of the state's commitments to the people. Support citizens and families that have been hit the hardest by the global economic crisis;
- preservation and development of the country's industrial and technological potential for future growth;
- encouragement of domestic demand as the basis for post-crisis revival of the economy and its subsequent progressive growth;
- accelerated modernisation of the country and transition to a knowledge-based economy;
- lifting of administrative barriers that hamper business operation, drafting of a new package of measures to encourage the development of small business during the crisis;
- normalisation of the situation in the financial sector, including the banking system and the stock market;
- pursuit of a responsible macroeconomic policy stipulating, in particular, a balanced budget policy and maintenance of a stable rouble exchange rate.

To attain these objectives, the Government intends to do the following:

1. Strengthen social insurance of the people, ensure guaranteed social and medical assistance, and provide state support to employment.

This implies the development of the Priority National Project in Healthcare, an active employment policy, including retraining and further training, and addressee assistance to the people, including by offering resettlement for the purpose of employment.

2. Preserve and develop the country's industrial and technological potential.

The companies that have recently increased their efficiency, invested in development and created new goods, as well as raised productivity but now have problems because of limited access to loans and a temporary decline in the demand for their products have the right to expect the state to help them.

The relevant measures include overall support to the real economy as well as measures to support individual sectors such as agriculture, the automotive industry, housing construction, metallurgy, and the defence, transport and timber sectors.

3. Lower administrative pressure on business.

More efforts will be taken in 2009 to prevent and preclude corruption and to lift excessive administrative barriers. Preference tariffs will be approved for connection to electric grids and for the lease of federal-owned premises to small and medium-sized companies.

4. Enhance the stability of the national financial system.

This measure implies three objectives: expand the resource base and raise the liquidity of the financial system; increase the affordability of bank loans for the real economy companies; and ensure the financial restructuring of problem banks.

5. Macroeconomic policy.

Measures will be taken to maintain macroeconomic stability, pursue a balanced budget policy, lower inflation rate, enhance the trust in the rouble, and expand lending and make loans cheaper for companies and individuals.

6. Implementation of anti-crisis measures in the constituent entities.

Assistance will be provided to the budgets of the constituent entities from the federal budget with due regard for the following conditions:

- implementation of the Government's decisions on lowering the level of co-financing of constituent entities' expenditures subsidised from the federal budget;
- reduction of the number of subsidies provided from the federal budget to the budgets of the constituent entities and simultaneous increase in the size of the remaining subsidies and their consolidation for the attainment of three or four objectives of priority importance to the regions;
- compensation of shortfall in revenues of the constituent entities' consolidated budgets through the improvement of the existing mechanism for the provision of subsidies.

A system of interaction should be established at the regional level to implement priority investment projects, which should include organisation of interaction between the authorities, business and public organisations, as well as integration of financial resources of the budgets of all levels, the funds of state corporations and private investors, and attraction of borrowed funds.

The efforts to support the real economy will be focused above all on support for backbone companies and organisations that are the main taxpayer in their city.

On the whole, the Ministry of Economic Development believes that the implementation of these measures will allow Russian citizens and businesses to weather the crisis without major economic losses.

3. Draft federal law on amendments to the federal law on the federal budget for 2009 and planning period of 2010 and 2011

4. Amendments to the federal laws on the Budgets of the Pension Fund, the Social Insurance Fund, and the Federal Fund of Mandatory Medical Insurance for 2009 and Planning Period of 2010 and 2011

According to the draft federal law on amendments to the federal law On the Budget of the Federal Fund of Mandatory Medical Insurance for 2009 and e Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, the clause including figures for 2010 and 2011 will be removed from the law and supplements to it.

Article 1 of the draft law stipulates the 2009 deficit of the Fund in the amount of 17.1 billion roubles. In accordance with the reviewed forecast of Russia's socio-economic development in 2009, the expected reduction in taxes collected to the Fund compared to Federal Law No 215-FZ, On the Budget of the Federal Fund of Mandatory Medical Insurance for 2009 and Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, dated November 25, 2008, will be compensated by federal budget allocations in the form of inter-budget transfers. This will ensure the timely and full provision of subsidies to the budgets of territorial funds of mandatory medical insurance for the implementation of territorial programmes within the basic programme of mandatory medical insurance.

The draft law provides for excluding the fixed size of monthly subsidies from the Fund's budget to territorial funds for the implementation of territorial programmes of mandatory medical insurance. This will allow determining the size of subsidies on the basis of actual implementation of the budgets of the territorial funds of mandatory medical insurance in terms of revenue.

5. Draft federal law on amendments to individual laws aimed at improving the material security of individual groups of Russian citizens

Given a higher inflation forecast than in the federal budget, the basic part of pensions will be increased by 31.38% on December 1, 2009, instead of by 26.4% as earlier planned.

Therefore, the draft law stipulates that the basic part of ordinary retirement pensions will be increased by 612 roubles on December 1, 2009, to 2,562 roubles a month.

The basic part of disability retirement pensions and survivor retirement pensions will be increased accordingly.

In addition, the draft law, if approved, will increase not only the basic part of old-age retirement, disability retirement and survivor retirement pensions, but also payments whose size is calculated in proportion to the size of the basic part of the labour pension.

Such payments include state pensions, additional material insurance provided to Russian citizens for extraordinary achievements and special services to the country; monthly additional payments to the state pensions of Russian citizens who had been on the staff of UN international agencies.

As a result of the proposed changes, the size of monthly monetary payments to radiation victims of the Chernobyl disaster, the accident at the Mayak production association in 1957, and the discharge of radioactive waste into the Techa River (this category of people receives monthly payments in the amount stipulated for the Chernobyl victims), radiation victims of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk range, corresponding groups of veterans receiving monthly payments under the federal law on veterans, disabled persons, including children with disabilities, Heroes of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation, full commanders of the Order of Glory (members of their families), Heroes of Socialist Labour, and full commanders of the Order of Labour Glory will be increased by 13% on April 1, 2009.

The federal law on amendments to individual laws aimed at improving the material security of individual groups of Russian citizens stipulated an increase in the above payments by 8.5% form April 1, 2009.

The draft law also stipulates that the norm of financial spending per citizen receiving state social assistance in the form of social benefits such as prescription for free medicines, medical goods and special goods for children with disabilities will be increased to 480 roubles in 2009.

The approval of this norm is necessary also to determine the size of subventions to be provided in 2009 to the constituent entities' budgets for financing this social service for individual groups of citizens.

6. Draft federal law on amendments to Article 229² of the Labour Code

Currently, cases of acute poisoning or irradiation in excess of the approved norm due to the effect of hazardous industrial factors, including irradiation in the line of duty or industrial occupation as a result of the fulfilment of orders by organisations of private operators, are investigated in accordance with Government Resolution No 967, On the Approval of the Regulations for the Investigation and Registration of Occupational Diseases, dated December 15, 2000.

Decisions to qualify such events as accidents or as occupational diseases are taken by authorised persons with due regard for all circumstances and medical conclusions. This does not stipulate a special procedure for investigation of cases of acute poisoning or irradiation in excess of the approved norm.

Therefore, the draft law provides for excluding Clause 9 of the Article 229² of the Labour Code.

7. Implementation of federal target programmes and the Federal Target Investment Programme for 2008

Allocations to the federal target programmes from all sources totalled 1,653.5 billion roubles in 2008, or 88% of the target figure for the year, including 765.3 billion roubles (98%) from the federal budget, 325.7 billion roubles (100.4%) from the constituent entities' budgets, and 562.4 billion roubles (72.6%) from extra-budgetary sources.

According to the Federal Treasury, in 2008 allocations to the projects of the Federal Target Investment Programme from the federal budget, taking into account amendments and additions, totalled 480.1 billion roubles (including the state defence order), or 98.1% of overall budget investment stipulated for the implementation of the programme in 2008.

Allocations included 314.7 billion roubles (97.7% of overall budget allocations stipulated for the programme) for the functions stipulated in the programme and 165.4 billion roubles (98.7%) for other expenditures.

In accordance with the list of construction projects and facilities in 2008, allocations were provided to 2,217 construction projects, facilities and events, including 1,531 stipulated in the programme and 686 outside it.

8. Draft federal law on amendments to individual laws following the approval of the federal law on the technical fire safety regulations

The draft law stipulates amendments to the federal law On Fire Safety, the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code.

Amendments to the law On Fire Safety specify individual aspects of the operation of state fire safety agencies and their officials during supervision of compliance with fire safety rules, including those stipulated in Russian legislation.

Amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses were encouraged by the lack of possibility to call to administrative account persons guilty of violating fire safety regulations stipulated in federal and regional legislations. The current wording of the relevant articles stipulates responsibility only for violations of fire safety regulations stipulated in the standards, norms and rules.

To enhance the efforts to prevent violations of fire safety regulations, the draft law stipulates additional administrative punishment for legal entities in the form of administrative suspension of operation for up to 90 days, and punishment for private operators working without registering their company as a legal entity in the form of administrative fines or administrative suspension of operation for up to 90 days.

Amendments to the Criminal Code regarding criminal responsibility for violations of fire safety regulations were encouraged by the fact that the current wording of the said article stipulates criminal punishment only for violations of fire safety regulations that result in criminal and legal consequences, and does not stipulate punishment for violation of legal acts stipulating fire safety regulations.

The implementation of this draft law will create conditions for a legal regulation of public relations related to the settlement of disputes over fire safety regulations, including in the process of state fire safety supervision of fire safety regulations as stipulated in federal legislation.

9. Draft federal law On the Buyout of Urozhai-90 Bonds, payments for agricultural products harvested in 1991, and amendments to the federal law On State Debt Commodity Obligations

The goal of the draft law is to ensure legal settlement of problems related to the Urozhai-90 bonds, the state's obligations to the providers of agricultural products harvested in 1991, and the composition of the state debt commodity obligations and the period of limitation regarding these obligations.

The draft law stipulates the buyout of the Urozhai-90 bonds at one-1000th of the sum stipulated in the bonds.

Payments to the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991 will be made at 0.4 roubles per metric ton of grain, 0.8 roubles per metric ton of oilseed, 1 roubles per metric ton of potato, and 1.2 roubles per metric ton of vegetables.

The size of payment for the Urozhai-90 bonds and agricultural products harvested in 1991 has been calculated with due account for the fact that the said categories of citizens did not provide their monetary funds to the state. The draft law stipulates payments to them for the unused right to purchase specialty goods during the period of shortages in 1990 and 1991.

It also takes into accounts the provisions stipulated in Government Resolution No 1182, On Measures to Be Taken in View of Changes in the Nominal Value of the Russian National Currency and Prices, dated September 18, 1977, regarding the 1992 state domestic premium bonds.

Up to 35 billion roubles will be allocated from the federal budget to buy out the Urozhai-90 bonds and make payments to the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991.

The Urozhai-90 bonds will be bought out and payments will be made to the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991 between April 15 and December 31, 2009.

The period of limitation regarding these obligations has been set at 12 months.

The draft law also stipulates amendments to the federal law On State Debt Commodity Obligations.

Under Article 1 of the law, state debt commodity obligations shall comprise state target non-interest loan bonds issued in 1990, target bonds and target deposits for the acquisition of cars in 1991-1995, the Urozhai-90 bonds and state obligations to the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991.

The draft law stipulates that the Urozhai-90 bonds and state obligations to the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991 shall be removed from the list of state debt commodity obligations, because there were no loan relations between the holders of such bonds, the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991 and the state, and the holders of the Urozhai-90 bonds and the suppliers of agricultural products harvested in 1991 were not the state's creditors.

The approval of the draft law will make it possible to formalise the settlement of issues pertaining to state obligations stipulated in the federal law On State Debt Commodity Obligations.

10. Distribution of subsidies among the budgets of constituent entities for supporting measures to balance their budgets for 2009

The Ministry of Finance submitted to the Government the draft law on the provision of federal budget subsidies to the Republic of Ingushetia and the Samara and Yaroslavl regions for balancing their budgets in 2009.

Federal Law No 204-FZ, On the Federal Budget for 2009 and Planning Period of 2010 and 2011, dated November 24, 2008, stipulates subsidies for balancing the budgets of the constituent entities . In accordance with Part 2 of Article 13 of this law, the distribution of such subsidies will be approved by the Government or proceed in accordance with the procedure approved by it.

The executive order proposes approving the provision of 462,556,500 roubles in the form of such subsidies to the Republic of Ingushetia and the Samara and Yaroslavl regions in 2009.

The money will be provided from the reserve funds; it will not be necessary to increase federal budget allocations for these purposes.

11. Amendments to some Government acts

The Ministry of Finance submitted to the Government the draft Government Resolution On Amendments to Some Acts of the Government, which stipulates that the function of balancing the budgets of the constituent entity with allocations from the Federal Fund of Financial Support to the Regions will be transferred from the Ministry of Regional Development to the Ministry of Finance on March 1, 2009.

The draft resolution stipulates amending the Regulations on the Ministry of Regional Development approved by Government Resolution No 40, On Approving the Regulations on the Ministry of Regional Development and Amending some Acts of the Government, dated January 26, 2005. In particular, it stipulates cancelling the functions of the Ministry of Regional Development to balance the budgets with allocations from the Federal Fund of Financial Support to the Regions.

Relevant amendments will also be made to Government Resolution No 501, Regarding the Ministry of Regional Development, dated September 28, 2004.

The transfer of the said functions to the Ministry of Finance, a federal body of executive authority in charge of drafting the state policy and ensuring legal regulation in the sphere of budgets and taxes and sustained development of the Russian economy, implies relevant amendments to the regulations on the drafting of the federal budgets and the budgets of state extra-budgetary funds for the next financial year and planning period, approved by Government Resolution No 1010 dated December 29, 2007.

The transfer of the said functions to the Ministry of Finance will ensure the adoption of prompt decisions on providing financial assistance to the regional budgets through the use of the Finance Ministry's financial instruments and with due regard for the results of its weekly monitoring of the fulfilment of the consolidated budgets of the constituent entities.

12. Amendments to the Regulations on the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks

The Government Resolution On Amendments to the Regulations on the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks was drafted by the Ministry of Education and Science at its initiative. The goal is to adjust the Regulations to the norms of Part IV of the Civil Code, which came into effect on January 1, 2008, by specifying the functions and powers of the Service.

The amendments specifically concern new rules for accepting requests by the Service.

They propose giving the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks, or Rospatent, the right to register security and pledge agreements regarding the exclusive rights to the results of intellectual activity and the transfer of the exclusive rights to intellectual property and means of individualisation without an agreement, as well as to register transactions stipulating the use of an universal technology outside Russia.

The implementation of this draft resolution will streamline the efforts of Rospatent to fulfil its duties as a federal body of executive authority concerned with intellectual property, as stipulated in Part IV of the Civil Code.

13. Approval of the technical regulations on the safety of products for children and teenagers

The regulations were elaborated by the Central Research Institute of the Clothing Industry in cooperation with the Federal Centre of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare, the research Institute of Hygiene and Children's and Teenagers' Health at the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Central Research Institute of the Leather Footwear Industry.

The goal is to protect the lives and health of children and teenagers up to 18 years, and preclude actions that may confuse buyers of such products.

The regulations cover the following groups of products:

• baby care products (rubber nipples and pacifiers, crockery and cutlery, sanitary goods and haberdashery, toothbrushes and gum massagers);
• toys;
• clothing, textiles, leather and fur goods;
• footwear, leather haberdashery;
• prams and bicycles;
• printed goods (textbooks, books, magazines) and electronic tuition products, and writing implements.

The implementation of these requirements is aimed at ensuring chemical, biological, mechanical, fire, electric, thermal, radiation, irradiation and explosion safety of products for children and teenagers.

In view of the social importance of these products and following the analysis of related risks, the Regulations stipulate that such goods should have an obligatory certificate and declaration of compliance with the said requirements.

Public debates on the draft regulations were held from September 25, 2005 to January 25, 2006, with proposals received also after the deadline taken into account.

The Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare will be responsible for state control (supervision) of compliance with the Regulations' requirements.

14. Measures to improve the system of monitoring sport boats in Russia

The Government resolution on measures to improve the system of monitoring sport boats in Russia was drafted to determine the agencies responsible for organising the registration, classification and certification of sport sailing boats, and also for training and certifying their crewmembers.

The Resolution contains instructions to the Ministry of Transport to draft and approve by June 1, 2009:
- the rules of registering sport sailing boats and their ownership rights, and of keeping their register;
- the rules of classification and certification of sport sailing boats;
- the rules of certifying crewmembers of sport sailing boats.
The draft also stipulates making relevant amendments to the Regulations of the Ministry of Transport.

The approval of the draft resolution on measures to improve the system of monitoring sport boats in Russia will enhance control and supervision of sport boats and the development of sailing sport in Russia.

15. Training of Russian athletes for the XXI Olympic and X Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010

The Ministry of Sport and Tourism drafted a Government resolution on ensuring conditions for the training of Russian athletes for the XXI Olympic and X Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010.

The draft resolution stipulates the establishment of the Organising Committee for the preparation and training of Russian athletes for the games, and the approval of its composition. It also contains instructions to the relevant federal bodies of executive authority to compile and implement measures for ensuring the requisite standards of training of Russian athletes for the Games.

The approval of the draft resolution will not entail additional allocations from the federal budget. The federal bodies of executive authority will implement the instructions contained in the draft resolution on the basis of allocations stipulated in the federal budget for their operation.

16. Establishment of the Organising Committee for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the space flight by Yuri Gagarin

The Government resolution on the establishment of the Organising Committee for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the space flight by Yuri Gagarin was drafted by the Federal Space Agency.

In view of the importance of Gagarin's flight for the Russian and world history, the Organising Committee should be chaired by the Prime Minister. This will allow to promptly address questions related to the celebration events, including international ones, and to involve, when and if necessary, federal bodies of executive authority in their implementation.

The Organising Committee should be instructed to ensure the drafting and approval of the plan of basic measures for preparing the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's space flight, and also the drafting of a financial and economic feasibility study for it.

The implementation of this draft resolution will ensure the coordination of the actions of the federal bodies of executive authority and local governments for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's space flight.

17. Signing of the agreement between the Russian Government and the Government of Turkmenistan on the encouragement and mutual protection of investments

The agreement between the Russian Government and the Government of Turkmenistan on the encouragement and mutual protection of investments was drafted on the basis of a standard agreement and reproduces the bulk of its clauses, including:

1. Admission of investments by the investors of either party to the territory of the other party in accordance with legislation of the receiving party.
2. Provision by either party of the same regime to the investments and investment revenues of the other party as the regime ensured to the investments and investment revenues of the host country or the investments and investment revenues of other countries.
3. The right of either party to apply and introduce changes regarding the investments and investment revenues of the other party in accordance with legislation provided such changes are not discriminating compared with the regime applied to or introduced for the investments and investment revenue of other countries.

The implementation of this agreement will ensure lasting stability and predictability of the legal environment for the investors and will facilitate the development of investment and trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Turkmenistan.

Moscow
March 18, 2009

* Press releases by the Department of Press Service and Information contain the materials submitted by the executive federal bodies for discussion by the Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation.