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Russia has moved to bolster its influence among the former Soviet republics. The country's foreign ministry has forwarded proposals to the Russian government on establishing a federal agency on CIS affairs that will also deal with international humanitarian cooperation and relations with citizens abroad. The body is expected to start operating by September.
The creation of the agency was announced by Vyacheslav Shumskiy, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry department dealing with the CIS. He confirmed that the government has received the proposal to create the agency.
"The document is currently under inter-departmental coordination," he told the Kommersant newspaper.
The Russian ministry hopes that the proposal will have undergone the required review as early as August, after which the government will rule on setting up the federal agency. This will be in accord with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's May decree, which envisions the agency's establishment within the Foreign Ministry. The decree also calls for the head of state overseeing the agency's operation.
Valeri Mikhaylov, deputy head of the ministry's CIS department, commented on the tasks facing the agency. "This is an attempt to bring about the strengthening of our policy within the CIS from the standpoint of practical projects which we had no way of implementing before. We need to help the Commonwealth states and address their problems under Russia's auspices," said Mikhaylov.
Discussions on the new agency, by politicians and officials dealing with the former Soviet republics, are under way.
The Kremlin has explained the need for creating the agency as fulfilling Moscow's desire to further ties with other CIS states. Its establishment is anxiously awaited by the Russian Security Council, which has outlined, in detail, the responsibilities of this new agency.
"With the aid of the agency, we will reach a new level of relations with CIS countries. The time of threats has passed. Russia has all the resources required to boost its influence in the Commonwealth by peaceful means - by supporting friendly NGOs and spot financing of educational, humanitarian and cultural programs for Russian speakers," a high-ranking official told Kommersant.
Another source close to the Kremlin said the specifics of the agency will guarantee its continuing to operate regardless of temporary political problems.
"Irrespective of what relations we have with a given country, this entity will do its job. It will grant scholarships, supply libraries with Russian language literature, and work with non-governmental organizations, while the President and the Foreign Ministry can fight the neighbors all they please in the meantime," the source said.
Konstantin Zatulin, Deputy chairman of the State Duma (parliament) Committee on CIS Affairs and Relations with Compatriots, noted that at a recent meeting of President Medvedev with Russian ambassadors, the diplomats were informed that the agency would be closely cooperating with public organizations.
"It will oversee the support of the Russian non-profit sector in the CIS, including NGOs, foundations and affiliates of our organizations. This work has never been properly developed and never been supported by the state, while in the U.S., all this is developed and worked-out," the lawmaker said.
The agency will be similar to USAID, the United States' federal agency promoting international development. The US agency has subsidiaries in 100 countries throughout the world, including all CIS republics, and has long turned into a tool used by Washington for increasing its political influence. While staying an independent organization, USAID closely collaborates with the Department of State and reports to the Secretary of State. Moscow is actually not concealing the fact that it is looking to capitalize on American experience to advance its interests and even, in this respect, compete with Washington.
It is unknown, at this point, who will head the agency, but the Russian Foreign Ministry has made it clear that its chairman will have to be a person well qualified to maintain contacts with top leaders in the CIS states.