MOSCOW Curbing inflation is the Russian government's priority for the months ahead, AFP quoted Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said here Friday at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting.

Due to higher-than-expected budget expenditure, inflation had been higher than forecast since the start of the year, Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.

"It is necessary over the next months to reduce" the pace of price increases, Kasyanov said.