* The economic development and trade minister said Russia's GDP had grown 5.9% in the first 10 months of 2005
* Russia's Federal Agency for Industry said Russia and Egypt had completed bilateral negotiations on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization and signed the relevant agreement
* President Vladimir Putin's economic advisor, Andrei Illarionov, said the Russian economic policy of refocusing on national projects would not allow GDP to be doubled in 10 years
* The natural resources minister said Russia would produce 168 metric tons of gold in 2005 and would increase this figure to an annual 250 tons by 2015
* About 2,000 local employees of U.S.-based company J. Ray McDermott, which builds offshore platforms, went on strike in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, a spokesman for the strikers said
