ST. PETERSBURG, May 25 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's economy will grow at a rate of about 5.5-6% in the next three years, the finance minister said Thursday.
Alexei Kudrin said, "We will have economic growth of 5.5-6% in the next three years. Therefore, we will maintain good growth potential."
The minister said GDP had grown 6.4% in 2005, and was expected to grow 6% in 2006, while growth rates in 2007 and 2008 were estimated at 5.5% and 5.6%, respectively.
"Today, economic growth rates in Russia are higher than the world's average," he said.
Speaking to parliament in his annual state of the nation address on May 10, President Vladimir Putin said economic growth should be at least 7% to achieve his goal of doubling gross domestic product, which he set three years earlier, by 2012.
