RUSSIA: World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz this week urged Russia to push ahead with institutional reforms and to fight corruption as he began an official two-day visit, reports The Moscow Times. Speaking after a meeting with Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref, Wolfowitz said Russia had come a long way in the past decade but that there was still a lot of work ahead. "There are huge challenges, especially in the areas of administrative reform, judicial reform and combating corruption," Wolfowitz said after meeting with Gref. "And also in some of the areas of basic human needs, especially health and education." Talks between Wolfowitz and Gref on Oct. 19 were focused on more specific issues, such as how best to tackle judicial reforms, as well as on financial assistance. Programs on creating special economic zones and fighting AIDS were also discussed. Xinhua (China) further reports that the World Bank may grant funding to Russia to improve its judicial system next year, Gref said. Moscow may receive a $50 million loan from the World Bank next year, and the government will match the loan with federal budget funds to bankroll the judicial reforms, Gref said.
