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Russia’s deputy PM to hold meeting with Economic Development Ministry officials

MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov is to meet officials of the Economic Development Ministry on Thursday, Deputy Economic Development Minister Oleg Fomichev.

"Yes," he said when answering the relevant question from reporters.

Fomichev who will also take part in the discussion declined to comment on what issues are on the agenda of the meeting.

Earlier at a cabinet meeting Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev urged the ministry to continue working effectively despite the detention of Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev. He reiterated that the 2017-2019 draft budget will soon be submitted for the first reading and a lot will depend on the work of the ministry.

On Monday, Aleksey Ulyukayev was detained as he received a sum of two million U.S. dollars as a bribe in exchange for the economic ministry’s positive appraisal that allowed the oil major Rosneft to buy out from the state a 50.08% stake in the oil company Bashneft.

A representative with the Investigative committee said that the investigation has no questions about the acquisition of Bashneft stake by Rosneft and the deal is not the target of the probe.

Ulyukayev has been indicted under part 6 of article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code (bribe-taking). Moscow’s Basmanny district court has ruled to place him under house arrest till January 15.

On Tuesday, Putin signed a decree relieving Aleksey Ulyukayev of his duties as Russia’s economic development minister over the loss of confidence.