Putin to continue stimulus as Russia moves out of crisis

ST PETERSBURG, Russia Nov 21 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to continue Russia's anti-crisis programme as the economy moves out of one of the deepest recessions in post-Soviet history.

Putin, speaking at a congress of his United Russia party in Russia's northern city of St Petersburg, said gross domestic product would decline by 8.0 to 8.5 percent in 2009.

But the former Kremlin chief said Russia must fully restore pre-crisis levels of growth in two to three years and added that he saw cargo turnover and electricity demand rising in 2010.

Putin said Russia would widen its anti-crisis programme for carmakers and that he was sure ailing carmaker AvtoVAZ (AVAZ.MM) had a future. He added Russia would help firms buy high-technology assets abroad.

But the premier said AvtoVAZ, which makes Lada cars, would have to modernise and that he hoped shareholders -- which include France's Renault (RENA.PA) -- would conduct themselves responsibly.

He said Russia would pay 50,000 roubles to those car owners who agreed to trade in vehicles over 10 years old for new domestically made cars.

Speaking on energy, Putin said Russia would start pumping oil through a major pipeline to the Pacific in a month.

He also said Russia aimed to unite the country's Asian and European gas transport systems, a step that would give Moscow more ability to move gas between clients in the two continents. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk and Gleb Bryanski, writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Alfred Kueppers, editing by Michael Stott)