OREANDA-NEWS  Russian President Vladimir Putin joked about the head of Sberbank, German Gref, who asked to allocate a billion from the budget to support the Beber educational project in the IT field, RIA Novosti reports.

The head of state asked what financial assistance is required for the construction of schools, Gref replied that "a billion a year would be great."

"Good. Pulled right out with ticks. Herman Oskarovich is ashamed to say that he is asking the Federation for a billion. So rich, and asks for a billion," the Russian leader said.

The head of Sberbank said that the organization had invested a lot of money in the project, to which Putin said that an extra billion from the federal budget would not hurt, and promised to allocate funds.

Earlier on September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived on a working trip to Veliky Novgorod. During the trip, the head of state plans to hold a meeting of the Presidium of the State Council on the development of the labor market in Russia. In addition, the President will meet with the winners of the high-tech championship.