MOSCOW, July 5 (RIA Novosti) - The government...

"Today, we are not supporting a monopoly - it is one of the proposals to be discussed," Gref said. He added that state monopoly could be established on alcohol wholesale, and not on alcohol production.

The minister said the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, intended to consider in its second reading a bill regulating the turnover of ethyl alcohol and alcohol-based products on Wednesday. "Nothing will be nationalized," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the need to establish a monopoly at a State Council session in Kaliningrad on June 2.