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Moscow expected to have 2-2,5% econ growth this yr

Moscow will remain a centre of attraction for big business and capital

TEL AVIV, June 9 (Itar-Tass) - The Moscow government hopes to retain the economic growth rate and increase the gross regional product to dlrs 530 bln by 2025, Minister and Head of the Department for Foreign Economic and International Ties Sergei Cheremin said here on Sunday. He heads the Moscow delegation for the Israel-Moscow business forum.

According to the minister of the city government, Moscow will remain a centre of attraction for big business and capital, and the city's leaders hope to retain the economic growth level at 2-2.5 percent.

During the presentation for Israeli businessmen, Cheremin said the Moscow government every year, with the budget of about 60 billion dollars, spends about 25 billion to buy commodities and services, which makes Moscow rather attractive for business.

Contrary to the foreign media belief that Moscow is a very dangerous city, according to the ratings and the statistics, the crime rate in the city is lower than, for example, in Beijing, Los Angeles or London and is nearly equal to that of Vienna, he noted.

Cheremin also told Israeli businessmen that Moscow had plans for privatization of city assets, for example of the Moscow unified energy company. There is successful experience of concession of medical centres. Plans are under consideration to develop "Big Moscow". New roads are planned. About 200 new large clinics must be built, and 80 percent of the equipment in the existing clinics must be replaced, he said.

The economic forum became part of Days of Moscow that opened in Israel on Saturday. During the forum work, an agreement was signed on cooperation between the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce of Israel, Russia and the CIS. The Moscow government and the Afi-Rus company signed a memorandum of intention to build 100-mln-dlr-cost cancer treatment centres in the Russian capital and the region.

Moscow businessmen and officials met with Israeli colleagues for round-table discussions on specific areas of cooperation.

Cheremin told reporters that Moscow was interested to use Israeli experience and technologies in various areas -- from parking payment automatization and water purification to medicine and education.

During Days of Moscow, the agreement was prolonged on cooperation between the Moscow mayor's office and the Tel Aviv mayor's office.

A document on cooperation with the municipality of Jerusalem is planned to be signed on Monday.

An extensive culture programme is presented in Israel. A meeting with WWII veterans took place near the Red Army Memorial in the city of Netanya. The choir of the Sretensky Monastery sang for the veterans living in Israel and those who arrived from Moscow. The choir specially prepared a programme of war-time songs for the event.

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