2 ICE-BREAKERS TO BE BUILT FOR GULF OF FINLAND

MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian government plans to allocate 2 billion rubles ($1 equals 29 rubles) for the building of two ice-breakers to work in the Gulf of Finland, Serik Zhusupov told the press conference. He is the director of the board for the railway, sea and river transport state policy at the Russian Transport Ministry.

"The allocation of sums for the building of two diesel-electric ice-breakers is being decided", Mr. Zhusupov said. For the ships to begin work in 2007 2 billion rubles are to be allocated already in 2005. An increase in handling operations is forecasted for the ports of Primorsk and Vysotsk in the Gulf of Finland.

As tfor other major projects in the north-western region, Serik Zhusupov spoke of plans to allocate 1.2 billion rubles for the development of the Ust-Luga port. Now, only a coal terminal of 8 million-ton capacity is functioning in Ust-Luga. New capacities of a total of 30 million tons are to be built there.

Mr. Zhusupov said that in 2004 Ust-Luga would build approach channels and water areas for a multifunctional port. By 2006 it is planned to put into operation the ferry line Ust-Luga-Baltiisk to link the Kaliningrad region with Russia territory, Serik Zhusupov added.