Interior Ministry drafts law obliging foreigners to sign ‘loyalty agreement’ to enter Russia

The Russian Interior Ministry has drafted a bill that would require any foreigner entering Russia to sign a so-called “loyalty agreement”, state-owned news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

By signing the agreement, foreigners will effectively be agreeing “to comply with the prohibitions established to protect national interests”, which include refraining from “discrediting” Russian policies by “denying the notion of marriage as a union between a man and a woman” or “promoting” LGBT lifestyles during their stay in Russia.

In addition, foreigners will be prohibited from disseminating information aimed at “distorting the historical truth about the achievements of the Soviet people in defending the Fatherland and their contribution to the victory over fascism”, damaging the environment and cultural values of Russia, or failing to respect the diversity of ways of life and “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values”.