Russia’s ban of adoptions by U.S. parents was enacted solely with the welfare of Russian children in mind, Moscow’s top envoy to Washington said, despite widespread perception among Americans that it was a retaliatory political act.

Russia’s budgetary revenues from privatization in 2012 amounted to 201.5 billion roubles. As of mid-January 2013, revenues were 15.5 billion roubles after the transaction for the sale of the Vanino port was closed, said the Federal Property Management Agency.

Russia’s budgetary deficit for 2012 reached 0.04 percent of GDP, or 27 billion roubles, said the Accounts Chamber. Earlier assessments from the Ministry of Finance put the deficit at 0.02 percent of GDP.

Russia’s foreign trade surplus in 2012 fell by 1.4 percent to USD195.4 billion from USD198.2 billion in 2011, according to an assessment of the balance of payments posted on the website of the Central Bank.

Russia’s foreign debt for the year 2012 increased by 15.4 percent and by January 1, 2013 was estimated by the Bank of Russia at USD623.963 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2012, external debt increased by 4.9 percent.

Experts at IC Premium Capital forecast increased interest towards the capabilities of the Russian stock market on the part of investors and securities issuers.

The World Economic Forum in Davos has become a wide platform to showcase achievements, develop long-term plans for the future, and express criticism in a professional manner.

The Central Bank has published summary statistics for the top 30 banks as of January 1, 2013. According to the data released, 30 largest banks earned 795.3 billion roubles in 2012, which is 20.4 percent more than in 2011 (660.6 billion roubles).

In 2012, the number of registered credit organizations in Russia decreased by 18, dropping down to 1,094 as of January 1, 2013.

According to preliminary estimates, in 2012, Russian banks, including Sberbank, intensified lending to non-banking entities by 12.7 percent and to individuals by 39.3 percent, the First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank Alexei Simanovsky said.

The monetary policy of the Bank of Russia is balanced and flexible, the First Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia Alexei Simanovsky said, when asked about the refinancing rate during the annual meeting with bankers in mid-February.

The head of the leading pipe manufacturer talks about undersea pipeline projects, the construction of a plant in the U.S., and high-speed railways.

According to the data released by the Federal State Statistics Service, steel production in Russia in 2012 increased by 3.3 percent, reaching 70.4 million tons. Pig iron production increased by 5.2 percent to 50.5 million tons.

In 2013, steel consumption in Russia will reach 44 million tons, according to the head of the department of commercial sales of Evraz Holding Dmitriy Barashkov.

In 2012, the growth rate of the Russian advertising market slowed to 13 percent from 21 percent in 2011, according to the Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (ACAR).

Russia has banned chilled meat imports from the United States and Germany, the food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said.

Transmashholding and Wartsila will complete building a factory for the production of diesel engines in the Penza region by July or, at the latest, August 2013, according to the press service of the regional government.

Before the end of 2013, GAZ Group will deliver 709 GolAZ large and extra-large class buses with the value of over six billion roubles to service the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014, the press service of GAZ announced.

Aircraft factory Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk is assembling the first three modernized military transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A. In 2013, another order of military transport aircraft will be commissioned, according to the general director and designer of the Ilypin aviation complex Viktor Livanov.

At the end of 2012, the turnover of cargo at Russian seaports increased by 5.6 percent to 565.5 million tons, as reported by the Association of Sea Ports (ASOP).

The administration of the Astrakhan region signed closing documents to establish the Southern Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair as a division of the United Shipbuilding Corporation.

In 2013, the sales of mobile phones on the Russian market will increase by about three percent, while the share of smartphones will increase to about fifty percent of the number of phones sold, according to the president of Euroset Alexander Malis.

Russia in 2013 intends to raise USD6 billion in foreign investment. Moreover, the lion’s share of these funds will go to the Russian real estate sector.