Deputy Premier Ilya Klebanov said at his press conference in St. Petersburg that negotiations between the Design Bureau Rubin and international consortium should be concluded in contract signing tomorrow.

The whole operation will cost $70 million, $50-55 million of them to be paid to foreign companies and the remaining money to Russian structures. The government will finance the latter only in April or May, the fact that is not going to affect the planned timetable.

Funds raised by the International Foundation Kursk will also be used. Whatever is not raised by the Foundation will be covered by the Russian government, Klebanov says.

Official Moscow is not going to tie the operation timetable with participation in the MNERP program of the European Union.

Klebanov also said the operation in the Barents Sea would be insured.