KIEV, Dec. 23 – Parliament has adopted the country's state budget for 2011 with a deficit of UAH 38.84 billion, or 3.1% of projected GDP.

A total of 279 lawmakers out of the 298 registered in the parliament's session hall on Thursday voted for the law.

Parliament also supported Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn's proposal to order the Cabinet of Ministers, following the execution of the state budget in the first quarter and the first half of 2011, to draw up and submit to the Verkhovna Rada amendments to the budget in order to raise social standards.

The law was adopted without line-item consideration, after its brief presentation by Finance Minister Fedir Yaroshenko.