Monday, January 23, 2012

Putin: New Interethnic Relations Agency

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed establishing a new state agency on national development and interethnic accord.Interethnic issues have come to the foreground recently, with ethnic Russians growing indignant at the behavior of migrants from inside Russia and other former Soviet republics, whose disrespect for Russian traditions and customs sometimes results in interethnic clashes.
In an apparent attempt to soothe both groups, Putin, who will run for president in the March 4 elections, said in an article for the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily: “I think a special structure responsible for issues of national development, interethnic accord and interaction should be established in the system of the federal power bodies.”
Putin’s initiative echoes proposals by regional parliamentarians, who have repeatedly called for reestablishing a federal body strengthening interethnic relations.
Earlier the Nationalities Ministry dealt with such issues, while now they are addressed by the Regional Development Ministry, which does not pay enough attention to them, Putin said.
The premier said the agency should interact with the president, the government staff, the public and have certain powers.
Putin served two terms as Russia’s president between 2000 and 2008, but was barred from standing for a third consecutive term by the constitution. He became prime minister after his handpicked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, became president.
While Putin is widely expected to secure the presidency in the March 4 vote, he is facing a crisis of popularity and analysts say it is no longer certain he will triumph in the first round of voting

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