MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti)-Russia's finance minister forecast Saturday that the annual rate of inflation would be 9% this year. "Inflation in Russia in 2006 should be 8.5-9% and 7-7.5% in 2007," Alexei Kudrin told a news conference following a meeting of finance ministers from the world's most industrialized countries.
Kudrin also said that the prices for natural gas in Russia would rise by 11% in 2006 and by 9% in 2007.
On Friday, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry adjusted its inflation forecasts for 2006 by raising the figure from 7.5-8% to 8-9% in light of growing oil prices.
