On February 9, the Ministry of Finance said Russia had not received an official request from Kiev to loan $5 billion to Ukraine for financing its budget deficit, but that both sides had held consultations on the issue in Moscow the previous week.
"Neither the Russian Government nor the Ministry of Finance have received any official request from Ukraine as regards the loan," the Ministry of Finance said.
RIA Novosti
The Russian Government plans to encourage the creation of powerful national ratings agencies, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told the Government Presidium. He said the Government was interested in such agencies that would more fully heed Russian market specifics in their assessments. The Ministry of Finance will accredit new ratings agencies.
ITAR-TASS
The State Duma, the lower house of parliament, could examine a package of house anti-crisis proposals at its February 18 plenary meeting, Yevgeny Fyodorov, Chairman of the Duma's Economic Policy Committee, said. He said the committee would sum up all proposals in a single document at the February 11 meeting.
RIA Novosti
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin instructed the Government to draft a programme promoting dairy products in Russia. "We must make the relevant proposal and finance this programme. I don't think this will cost a lot. So, let's do it," Mr Putin told the Government Presidium. Minister of Agriculture Alexei Gordeyev told the meeting that nationwide dairy-product consumption had plunged by 5% throughout 2008.