Russian federal budget deficit should fall to 2.9% of the GDP by 2013

Russia's federal budget deficit will drop from 3.6% of GDP in 2011 to 3.1% of GDP in 2012 and to 2.9% of GDP in 2013, Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Wednesday. The 2010 budget deficit will amount to 5% of GDP, he said. Earlier estimates put the figure at 5.4% of GDP. Russia's government debt will rise to 16.3% of GDP by the end of 2013, he added.