MOSCOW, November 18 (RIA Novosti) - The State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, approved Friday an amendment to the 2006 budget to allocate more than $17 million to the development of democracy in Russia.

The allocated funds will be used for "state support for nonprofit organizations involved in developing the institutions of civil society."

The amendment, which President Vladimir Putin recently proposed, was initiated by the Russian government and members of the United Russia faction.

The Kremlin administration will distribute the funds, which will be mostly allocated in the form of subsidies.