The Russian government could start selling off stakes in state-controlled enterprises before the end of the year, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said on Tuesday.

"With some [state-controlled] assets, privatization will start [later] in 2010," he said.

He did not specify the companies in question, only saying they would be "from the list of major assets."

The Russian Economic Development Ministry earlier proposed selling off stakes in 10 major state companies and banks, including Rosneft, Transneft, VTB, Rosselkhozbank, and RusHydro, within the next several years.

A Finance Ministry official previously said a stake in the VTB bank could be sold off this year.

Shuvalov said the list of companies slated for privatization in 2011-13 would be finalized "in the foreseeable future."

He stressed that specific time frames would depend on the market situation.

MOSCOW, September 7 (RIA Novosti)