FEDERATION COUNCIL APPROVES RUSSIA’S 1997 FEDERAL BUDGET.

The upper house of the Russian parliament yesterday gave its approval to the 1997 federal budget. It now goes to the president to be signed into law, even though leading economists and even some members of the government have said its prediction of two percent economic growth for 1997 is unrealistic. According to the document, federal budget revenue in 1997 will be 434,400 billion rubles (15.9 percent of GDP); expenditure will be 529,800 billion rubles (19.4 percent), and the deficit will be 95,400 billion rubles (3.5 percent). GDP is put at 2,727,000 billion rubles. (Interfax, February 12)

Maskhadov to be Both President and Premier.