MOSCOW (AP) _ Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said on Thursday that Russia's energy-reliant economy will slump this year even if oil rises to $55 a barrel _ a statement contested by the economic development minister.

"Even if the oil price climbs over $41 per barrel, $44 and even to $55, GDP will fall anyway," Alexei Kudrin told a meeting with tax officials, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. "We are witnessing a global trend, and we're tied to it."

He also predicted that Russia's budget revenues would not rise significantly for at least three years to come. Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina _ an opponent of many of the finance ministry's policies _ reacted to Kudrin's statement by saying that economic growth was possible even with oil prices at $50.

"According to our estimates, growth is possible with the $50 oil price and effective anti-crisis measures," she told reporters in a televised briefing. She also said that the Russian economy may see moderate growth in 2010 if the global economic outlook improves.

On Wednesday, Kudrin forecast Russia's budget revenues would drop 30 percent this year, leaving the country with a budget deficit of 8 percent of gross domestic output _ the first deficit in several years.

Russia's economy contracted by 8.8 percent last month compared with January 2008. Kudrin said funds worth $40 billion left the country in January, but he added that the capital outflow ceased this month: "Everyone who wanted to pull out their funds has done so _ Russian companies, too."

Foreign investment in Russia dropped 14 percent in 2008, to $104 billion, as Russia's stock benchmarks fell 80 percent from their last year's highs and the ruble lost one-third of its value since last September.

On the bright side, oil companies will get a boost to their revenues thanks to the devaluation of the ruble, Kudrin said.

"The oil industry will make 800 billion rubles ($22 billion) on the devaluation alone," he said, adding that the industry earlier sought a tax break that would compensate them 500 billion rubles.

Oil and gas producers _ chief contributors to the Russian budget _ were lobbying for lower taxes last year. They argued that that the payments are crippling their businesses and hamper the development of new fields.

Kudrin also announced government aid for the country's failing weapons industries, saying that the government and banks are to allocate 56 billion rubles in loans to 68 troubled enterprises.

Sergei Chemezov, the head of Russian Technologies _ a sprawling military-industrial holding company _ said a deepening crisis in the industry has caused companies' total debt to swell rapidly. Some 30 percent of the group's companies are showing signs of bankruptcy, he told parliament Wednesday.

Chemezov also criticized Russian banks, which he said were offering long-term loans at exorbitant rates. He added that the company was in talks with overseas banks, where interest rates are lower.