PRESS RELEASE*

The Government of the Russian Federation at its meeting on May 6, 2008 made the following decisions on the issues on its agenda.

1. On the plan of activities of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation aimed at achieving the quantitative and qualitative targets set for 2008.
The Government of the Russian Federation has taken note of the report on the issue by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation.
The meeting approved the plan of activities of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation aimed at achieving the quantitative and qualitative targets set for 2008.

2. On maximum levels of prices (tariffs) for the products (services) of natural monopolies in 2009 and in the plan period of 2010 and 2011.
The Government of the Russian Federation has taken note of the report on the issue by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation.
The meeting decided to approve as the basis the maximum level of prices (tariffs) for the products (services) of natural monopolies for 2009 and for the plan period of 2010 and 2011 in developing the scenario terms and the main parameters of the forecast of social and economic development of the Russian Federation for 2009 and the plan period of 2010 and 2011.
The Russian Government has agreed to the proposal of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia on a further raise of tariffs for railway cargo carriage by an average 8% as of July 1, 2008.
The Ministry of Regions, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Federal Tariff Service have been instructed, in connection with the proposed raise of the level of prices (tariffs) for the products (services) of natural monopolies, to prepare a complex of measures to provide social support for vulnerable social strata and submit the same to the Government of the Russian Federation by August 1, 2008.
* 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.
The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Finance Ministry, the Federal Tariff Service of Russia, in conjunction with the other federal bodies of executive power concerned and OAO RZhD, and with due account of the decisions on the maximum levels of prices (tariffs) for the products (services) of natural monopolies for 2009 and the plan period 2010 and 2011 have been instructed to revisit the issue of the sources of financing the implementation of individual projects to develop railways and report back to the Government of the Russian Federation.
The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Finance Ministry with the participation of OAO RZhD, in preparing the strategy of the development of the railway transport in the Russian Federation to the year 2030 in accordance with earlier instructions, shall determine the amount and sources of financing of its implementation, including the development of high-speed railway traffic.
The Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Regions, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Federal Tariff Service have been instructed to prepare in line with the earlier instructions of the Government of the Russian Federation and submit to the Government of the Russian Federation a concept of the programme to stimulate energy saving before October 1, 2008.
The Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Industry and Energy and the Federal Tariff Service in preparing the scenario terms and the main parameters of the forecast of social-economic development of the Russian Federation in 2009 and the plan period of 2010 and 2011 shall consider the issues of introducing, as of July 1, 2008, a transitional model of the electricity market and of switch during 2008-2011 to the regulation of the tariffs of power grid companies primarily on the basis of economically substantiated profitability of capital invested.

3. On the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Part 4 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.
The meeting approved the draft federal law On Introducing Amendments to Part 4 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and decided to submit the same to the State Duma under established procedure.

4. On the draft federal law On the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Encouragement and Mutual Protection of Investments and the Protocol to the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Encouraging and Mutual Protection of Capital Investments.
The meeting approved the draft federal law On the Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Encouragement and Mutual Protection of Investments and the Protocol to the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Encouraging and Mutual Protection of Capital Investments. It has been decided to introduce it at the State Duma.

5. On the draft federal law On Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Latvian Republic on the Status of Latvian Burial Sites on the Territory of the Russian Federation and Russian Burial Sites on the Territory of the Latvian Republic.
The meeting approved the draft federal law On Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Latvian Republic on the Status of Latvian Burial Sites on the Territory of the Russian Federation and Russian Burial Sites on the Territory of the Latvian Republic. It has been decided to introduce it at the State Duma.

6. On the draft federal law On Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Philippines on the Terms of the Mutual Trips of Holders of Diplomatic and Service (Official) Passports.
The meeting approved the draft federal law On Ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Philippines on the Terms of the Mutual Trips of Holders of Diplomatic and Service (Official) Passports. It has been decided to introduce it at the State Duma.

7. On signing of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Federal Council of the Swiss Confederation on Simplifying the Issue of Visas to the Citizens of the Russian Federation and the Swiss Confederation.
The meeting adopted a draft government executive order on the issue.

8. On introducing amendments to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No.728 of October 15, 2007.
The meeting adopted a draft decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on the issue.

9. On introducing amendments to the Regulations on the Federal Financial Markets Service.
The meeting adopted a draft decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on the said issue.
May 7, 2008
Moscow

* Decisions on the items on 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.