Russia announced Tuesday it was pouring 157 billion rubles (US$5.4 billion, ¤4.4 billion) in additional funding into its security agencies, the first concrete new step in the anti-terrorism battle that President Vladimir Putin has called the country's No. 1 priority. "The fight against terrorism requires a long-range perspective," Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said in announcing the funding, ITAR Tass news agency said a day after Putin proposed a major extension of Kremlin control over Russia's political and security structures. Russia's main security agencies _ the Federal Security Service, Interior Ministry and Foreign Intelligence Service _ will split an additional 50 billion rubles (US$1.71 billion, ¤1.39 billion) in funding. The Defense Ministry will receive an additional 107 billion rubles (US$3.66 billion, ¤2.99 billion), ITAR-Tass reported, citing Kudrin. Kudrin had already committed 2 billion rubles (US$68.5, ¤56.6) in next year's budget to a new anti-terrorism program that would be used to increase security in public places, including Moscow's subway system. --SP 1438 Local Time 1138 GMT
