September 22, 2007 (LPAC)--Russian President Putin, together with leading Russian, Chinese and other officials convened for the Sixth International Investment Forum, in Sochi on the Black Sea, to discuss government-business cooperation in infrastructural development. Putin told the conference that "infrastructure upgrading is a key factor of the economic development and improvement of citizens' welfare," reported Itar-Tass. The policy of the authorities is to set up "clear and well defined game rules stimulating investment activities. I hope the new government will maintain this course," he said. He added that the government "creates the necessary conditions to itself invest in the country's economy and to attract private investors."

Rosbusiness reported that Acting First Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov told the Forum that the Russian government will allocate about 365 billion rubles ($14 Billion) to the energy sector. He said that the fuel balance will be shifting towards nuclear, hydroelectric and coal generation and that the policy would be to apply public-private cooperation to all infrastructure. Overall, the government will allocate 900 billion rubles (approximately $36 billion), 16% percent of total budget expenditures, to investment programs in 2008.