MOSCOW, June 1 (RIA Novosti) - Annual inflation in Russia could be 6.5-8% in 2007, the finance minister said Thursday.
"In 2007, we can return to the bottom line of 6.5-8%," Alexei Kudrin told journalists.
Kudrin said earlier that this year's inflation was expected to be 9% if oil prices stayed around $65. Inflation in 2005 was about 11%.
The mid-term program for the country's social and economic development for 2006-2008 adopted by the government in December set the inflation target at 7-8.5% for 2006.
However, earlier this year, experts warned that annual inflation could hit 12-13% after consumer prices grew 5.4% from the start of the year, partly due to the unusually cold winter. The government revised its forecast and said it would keep inflation to a single-digit figure of 9%.
