MOSCOW, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's lower house of parliament's passed Friday in the third and final reading a bill on merging two regions to create the Kamchatka Territory in the Far East of the country.
The bill endorses a merger between the Kamchatka Region and the Koryak Autonomous Area on July 1, 2006.
With a majority of 300 needed, the bill was backed by 436 votes, with none against and one abstention.
The documents said that the 2007 budget for the new territory will be formed separately for the two merged regions, but a single financial plan for the new territory will be prepared for 2008.
The territory's legislative assembly will consist of 50 deputies and will be elected every four years.
