Russian government preparing 18bn euro anti-crisis plan: Deputy PM

Moscow:The Russian government is preparing to launch an "anti-crisis programme" to tackle the country`s stalled economy and depreciating currency that will cost 1.375 trillion rubles (18 billion euros, $21 billion), deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov said Wednesday.

Meeting President Vladimir Putin, Shuvalov said: "According to this plan, now we need to finance measures to the sum of 1.375 billion rubles," according to the Interfax news agency. He said some of the money would come from the massive reserves accumulated over recent years of high oil prices from energy exports.