MOSCOW. Aug 7 (Interfax) - Around 1.5 billion rubles will be given to support Russian public organizations from the federal budget in 2008, Public Chamber member Valery Fadeyev said.

"A total of 1.250 billion was provided this year and financing in 2008 is expected to be 1.5 billion rubles," Fadeyev said at a press conference at Interfax on Tuesday.

"Is this a large or a small amount? This depends what it is compared to. If we compare it to the budget for this a year and a half ago, which was nil, it is a large amount. If we compare the figures with the expenditure of foreign foundations and organizations for these projects in Russia, it is a small amount," he said.

USAID "spent hundreds of millions of dollars per year in the 1990s. Expenditure has now fallen, but it still amounts to tens of millions of dollars. Many private foundations working in Russia spend millions of dollars for similar goals," Fadeyev said.