#3 - RW 7268
Kudrin expects capital transfers to Russia to exceed flight in 2003

BRDO (Slovenia). July 26 (Interfax) - Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin expects the amount of net capital transferred to Russia to exceed capital flight in 2003, which will be the first such occurrence in the modern history of Russia.

The Finance Ministry estimates that net capital transfers from private sources to Russia will total $2 billion in 2003, $4 billion in 2004 and $6 billion in 2005, Kudrin told Interfax.

Capital flight totaled $11.1 billion in 2002, down from $16.3 billion in 2001 and $24.8 billion in 2000, he said.

In the first half of 2003, net capital transfers to Russia reached $2.6 billion, against a net capital flight of $2 billion in the first half of 2003.