#4 - JRL 7257
RUSSIA CAN DOUBLE ITS GDP BY 2010, BORIS ALESHIN SAYS

BEREZNIKI, PERM REGION, JULY 19, 2003./RIA-NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT ANDREI MALOSOLOV/ -- Russia boasts all the required conditions for doubling its GDP by the year 2010, Deputy Russian Prime Minister Boris Aleshin said here today. Aleshin is conducting a business trip to the country's Perm region just west of the Urals.

This is a rather ambitious project; still we can't make any headway without it because less substantial economic-growth rates can lead to nationwide stagnation, Aleshin stressed.

The state must do its best to prop up such areas as the aerospace industry, power engineering, the fuel-and-energy sector, the nuclear power industry and metallurgy because they are seen as focal growth points, Aleshin went on to say.

Moreover, the national GDP can be doubled by ensuring more effective relations between the Government and the business community, Aleshin added. Skilful interaction with businessmen will create all the required economic-growth and GDP-growth pre-requisites, the Deputy Prime Minister said in conclusion.