MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic correspondent...

Instead of comprehensive efforts against corruption, there are occasional "token" court processes, exchange of mudslinging and endless anti-corruption rhetoric. Meanwhile, the situation with corruption is only worsening. According to data from the Russian Interior Ministry, the average amount of a bribe has increased by 250% in the past year.

Transparency International uses the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) to calculate the level of corruption among state officials with the values "0" (a high level of corruption) to "10" (almost no corrupt officials). In 2009 in Russia, this index was at 2.2 points versus 2.1 points the previous year. As a result, the Corruption Perceptions Index put Russia in 146th place out of 177 countries. Last year, it was in 147th place.

"These results cannot be called respectable," said Yelena Panfilova, director of the Transparency International Center in Russia. "Russia also had the worst result among G20 countries, a group of which Russia

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