Russia’s billionaire presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov has announced that if elected, he would advocate a ‘common global currency based on the euro and the ruble’ and Russian integration into a ‘Big Europe.’ In his newly-released election manifesto the tycoon also apparently makes protection of private property the state’s priority, and emphasizes the import of human rights and democracy. Vladimir Putin may believe that Russia is out of the economic crisis zone, but a panel of experts, who gathered in Moscow for Russia’s end-of-the-year economic assessment forum, found good reason to disagree, says Russia Profile. Russia’s direct investment fund, designed to entice foreign investors in the hope of modernizing the economy, is examining projects worth a total of $5.6 billion, the Prime Minister has announced. The supervisory board of Russia’s national development bank VEB has apparently approved a $1 billion loan to the Sukhoi aircraft building firm to develop its Sukhoi Superjet 100.