#2 - JRL 7250
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT ON THE RISE IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, JULY 15, 2003. /FROM A RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT/ -- Industrial output in Russia increased by 6.8% in the first six months of this year, as compared with the same period of 2002; and in June the increase was 7% as compared with June last year.

The biggest output growth in the first half of 2003 was in power generation, fuel production, in the ferrous and nonferrous industry, in mechanical engineering, metal working and in medicinal industry.

A slowdown of output was registered in the light industry and in the microbiological and printing industries.

In the first half of the year there was an increase in the output of electric power, heat energy, oil, coal, iron ore, steel pipes, freight cars and buses. At the same time, the manufacture of metal-cutting tools, cars and grain harvesting combines has declined. And so has grain production.