The Yabloko faction in the State Duma will support the draft federal
budget for 2002 in the third reading. Such a decision was adopted at the meeting of the faction on November 29, 2001. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alexei Kudrin also participated in this meeting.

"We can support the proposed financial scheme in general, as the budget is reliable and has a reserve for the first time over the past few
years," the First Deputy Head of the Yabloko faction Sergei Ivanenko
said about the formation of financial reserve. Consequently, said
Ivanenko, despite the falling oil prices, the necessary amendments to
the draft budget will not involve changes to the state’s social obligations related to wage payments and pensions, as well as the issues of security in the country and air flight safety.

At the same time Yabloko's deputies expressed their concern about the budget items which were reduced considerably during examination of the draft budget in the Duma, in particular, the items connected with the provision of the country’s nuclear safety and education (Yabloko thinks that it is necessary to allot 1 bln roubles for the computerisation of educational institutions). The deputies of the faction also stressed that the Russian defence complex is under-financed.

Yabloko insists on the adoption of its amendments connected with the
financing of education, science and culture, i.e. the positions it has
been defending for eight years already," noted Ivanenko.

In addition, he stressed that "the faction will try to achieve the
formation of open and transparent budget mechanisms, so that they
are incorporated in the blood and flesh of our parliament."

One of the leaders of the Yabloko faction also noted that "the
government should rise to a qualitatively new level on principal
negotiations with the world financial organisations, such as OPEC."

Speaking at a meeting of the Yabloko faction Kudrin noted that
developments in the world economy since the tragic events of September 11 in the USA make Russia "ready for financial risks and unfavourable scenarios", and the government's duty is not to allow for the growth of state debt and the "erosion" of Russian money. The task of the government, said Kudrin, is to finance all the necessary expenditures on military reform, national defence and law-enforcement agencies.

After the meeting of the faction, when answering questions from
journalists the Finance Minister noted that "the members of the Yabloko faction have been actively working on the formation of the budget from the very outset, supporting the draft budget with a surplus and formation of a financial reserve." According to Kudrin, the government had considered Yabloko's proposals on issues connected with the expenditures on education and military reform. "In general we achieved a consensus on all the positions," noted Kudrin.

See also:

Budget for 2002