Putin orders to reduce environmental damage while expanding Sochi recreation areas

The President instructed the Russian Government and the authorities of the Krasnodar Territory to attract ecologists and submit proposals on minimizing the damage to the environment while expanding recreation areas in the vicinity of Krasnaya Polyana.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 8 in Moscow, members of the Human Rights Council (HRC) under the Russian President held their annual meeting with Vladimir Putin. The President agreed with the proposal of HRC members to revise the inclusion of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch) into the registry of "foreign agents". The HRC members also drew Mr Putin's attention to a threat of alienation of lands of the Caucasus Nature Reserve.

Vladimir Putin has approved the list of instructions compiled based on the outcomes of the HRC sitting, held on December 8, 2016, the Kremlin press service has reported today.

The President has instructed the Russian Government to cooperate with the authorities of the Krasnodar Territory, the All-Russian Public Movement "People's Front For Russia", the HRC, and "environmental NGOs, and submit proposals on minimizing the environmental damage while expanding the recreation areas in the vicinity of Krasnaya Polyana," says the list of instructions posted on the website of the President of Russia.

Besides, the administration of the President was instructed to analyse, together with the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the law-enforcement practice related to activities of the non-profit organizations (NPOs), which perform the functions of "foreign agents", and to present a respective report by March 30, says the above list.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.