Moscow, 9 December: Vladimir Putin thinks that the draft law on non-commercial organizations must be brought into accordance with the functional principles of a civil society, an expert opinion [Russian: zaklyucheniye] on the law states.

The Kremlin press service reported that Putin sent Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov his expert opinion on the draft Federal Law "On the Introduction of Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" which was adopted by the State Duma at its first reading on 23 November 2005.

The bill envisages the rationalization of mechanisms for the state registration of non-commercial organizations, and monitoring the compliance of the activity of these organizations with Russian legislation and their declared aims.

"The aims of the bill are worthy of support, but the mechanisms proposed for their implementation must be more closely in accordance with the functional principles of a civil society," the opinion states.

In this context, the president thinks, the norms for interaction between the state and non-commercial organizations must be clarified, in the first place for international and foreign organizations.