Password "Georgia"

The President discussed with the leadership of the Federation Council the tightening of migration legislation

Vladimir Putin met with the leadership of the Federation Council on Friday. The word “Georgia” was not used at this meeting. But, according to all participants in the closed part of the event, the president paid special attention to amendments tightening immigration legislation.

Senate Speaker Sergei Mironov and his four deputies - Svetlana Orlova, Dmitry Mezentsev, Mikhail Nikolaev and Alexander Torshin - came to the meeting with the president. During the protocol part of the meeting, to which journalists were allowed, the president routinely talked with senators about the legislative plans of the Federation Council and the program for the return of compatriots. “Migration legislation now requires special attention,” the president reminded the senators, opening the meeting: “Migration legislation must comply with fundamental international standards and at the same time ensure clear control over migration flows and contribute to the formation of a civilized labor market.” Putin also recalled that Russia has adopted a special program whose goal is to facilitate the return of compatriots from abroad.

Vladimir Putin also said that it is very important that the budget for 2007 be adopted before the end of the current session of the Federation Council: “Today the adoption of the budget for 2007 is of particular importance. I know that members of the Federation Council approached their work with interest and professionalism. Consultations have been held with representatives of the government, the State Duma, regions, and civil society structures.” He said that he would like to discuss with the leadership of the upper house “priorities of legislative work for the future, plans for the development of federal inter-budgetary relations and joint actions to implement national projects.”

Sergei Mironov said later that at the closed part of the event “the emphasis was on legislative activity, as well as on issues of interaction between the Federation Council and foreign parliaments.” “We also touched on national policy issues. The President of the country was informed about the activities of our joint commission on issues of national policy and interaction of the state with religious associations,” the speaker explained. The parliamentarians also discussed with the president “the tasks of senators in the international arena.” According to other participants in the meeting, during the closed part the conversation touched on the sharp deterioration of relations between Russia and Georgia, but this topic was not the main one.

Also, according to the speaker of the Federation Council, the senators informed the president that by the end of this year the commission on Beslan will complete its work, and then the report will be made public. Assuring the effectiveness of the parliamentary commission, Sergei Mironov said that its members took part in resolving a number of conflicts that arose on interethnic grounds and which, not least through the efforts of senators, were localized. “I deliberately do not talk about where this happened, but my colleagues went directly to the field, and thanks to the timely actions of our commission, the situation was localized and thereby prevented conflict,” Mr. Mironov explained mysteriously. Judging by the authorities’ intentions to tighten migration legislation, senators will still have the opportunity to prove themselves in localizing new conflicts.

Daria GUSEVA