ST. PETERSBURG, June 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russia must raise spending on infrastructure development from the current level of 2.5% of GDP to 4%, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday.

Ivanov told the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg that the problem of poor transport links, in particular roads, cannot be overcome in a short period of time.

"In a country with such a large territory, these problems cannot be solved in five or 10 years. They can only be solved over several decades," he said.

In most Russian regions, roads are not improving significantly, he said. However, in several large cities, substantial improvements are being made.

"Certain roads are appearing. In St. Petersburg, a ring road has already been created, to the standard of European roads."

The deputy minister cited a poll of participants at the St. Petersburg forum, which found that around 75% of businessmen believed the government should prioritize spending on transport infrastructure.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, running from June 6-8 this year, is an annual event held with the support of by the Russian president, bringing together politicians and business leaders. Russian news agency RIA Novosti is the general information sponsor of the forum.