Dywedodd Mr Sargeant fod "arweinyddiaeth gref mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ledled Cymru" yn sylfaenol.

BBC: Dadl ar wasanaethau cyhoeddus

Russian trade and economic minister, German Gref said the deal would allow Russia to compete "as an equal" in world markets.

BBC: NEWS | Business | US paves way for Russia WTO entry

The chief Russian statistician, Vladimir Sokolin, backed Mr Gref's assertions by saying that Russia was entering "the stage of tough competition for immigrants with European and former USSR countries".

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Russia 'needs more immigration'

According to Mr Gref, in 2006 the Russian workforce will decrease by 30, 000, while the next year will see a fall of more than 10 times that, culminating in a drop of half a million in 2008.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Russia 'needs more immigration'

At the same time, Mr Gref said, the immigration quota system had led to a fall in the difference between the number of workers entering and leaving the country to just 30, 000 - a figure that could not satisfy the country's growing demand for workers.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | Russia 'needs more immigration'