While opening a session of the presidential council on science, technology and education, Putin announced that the meeting's participants were due to discuss a program of fundamental scientific research for 2008-2012.
"For the first time, such significant funds have been allocated to fundamental science," he said, adding that overall budget spending on science in 2007 was over 200 billion rubles ($8.2 billion), or five times as much as in 2000.
"By 2010, aggregate expenditures on science will double and total about 400 billion rubles, and taking into domestic business expenditures, the sum will grow to 600 billion rubles," Putin said.
Putin said Russia's success in strategic and defense sectors directly depended on the development of fundamental science.
He also said that Russian science should develop through the establishment of innovative technical areas and technology parks.
