23:48, 22 December 2006

Russia has registered 189 foreign NCOs

A total of 189 representative offices and branches of foreign non-commercial organizations (NCOs) are currently registered in Russia. The RIA "Novosti" reports that this fact was made public at a press conference in Moscow on Friday by Galina Fokina, acting head of the Department for the matters of political parties and registration of public, religious and other organizations of the Federal Registration Service ("Rosregistratsia").

We remind you that a number of representative offices of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have suspended their work in Russia for the time being awaiting re-registration. Under the Law on NGOs, branches of foreign organizations had to present their re-registration documents before October 18 this year.

This April, the authorities have toughened regulation of the activities of NGOs, having claimed that some of them - in breach of the legislation - operate under influence of foreign governments. The NGOs think that the Kremlin is trying to liquidate unwanted organizations.