Trade and Economic Development Minister German Gref reported on preparing a federal target programme to develop nanotechnology and on current indicators of social and economic development. Over the first five months of 2006 the GDP growth rate was 6.2 percent.
Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin reported on the government’s work in preparing the draft budget for 2007. As the Finance Minister pointed out, the draft will be presented to the lower chamber of the Federal Assembly on 26 August 2006, undergo four readings by the end of November, and be presented to the President for his signature by the beginning of December. Vladimir Putin asked that upon completion of all work related to the 2007 draft budget the cabinet members begin working on the 2008 budget at once.
Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev talked about the last meeting between interior ministers, justice ministers and prosecutors general of G8 member states and events linked with introducing Russian biometric passports. The President drew attention to the fact that it is necessary to minimize the cost increase that citizens will incur for registering biometric documents.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov reported on preparation for the military training exercises that will be carried out within the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). On 24 June 2006 in Belarus a CSTO regional group will complete a number of military training exercises in the direction of Eastern Europe. In September similar such exercises will take place in Kazakhstan.