MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russian energy giant Gazprom will allocate some 30 billion rubles (over $1 billion) to supply natural gas to the country's regions in 2006-2007, its press service said in a statement Sunday.

"The board of directors instructed management to envision the allocation of necessary funds for the implementation of the regional gas supply program worth no less than 17.6 billion rubles ($625 million) in 2006 and 12.2 billion rubles ($433 million) in 2007," the statement said.

The board approved the company's work in 2005 and instructed Gazprom to continue it.

A total of 60% of Russian cities and 34% of rural areas are supplied with natural gas now.