-->18.01.2006, Moscow 14:32:10.Russia's government and the heads of the country's regions, which won a tender to create special economic areas, have signed agreements on the establishment of these areas today. Russian Economy Minister German Gref signed the documents on behalf of the government. It is possible now to start attracting investments to these areas, Gref said. Some RUR8bn (approx. USD282.7m) will be allocated from the federal budget for infrastructure development in 2006, and the same amount is earmarked in regional and municipal budgets.

Special economic areas will be created in St. Petersburg, Moscow (town of Zelenograd), Dubna (the Moscow region), Tomsk (the Tomsk region), Lipetsk (the Lipetsk region) and Elabuga (the republic of Tatarstan).