Külügyi Szemle - A Teleki László Intézet Külpolitikai Tanulmányok Központja folyóirata - 2003 (2. évfolyam)
2003 / 3. szám - EURÓPA - Sáfi Csaba: A Few Words on the Federal Law on State policy of the Russian Federation with regard to Fellow Countrymen Abroad
A Few Words on the Federal Law on State Policy of the Russian Federation organs of the RF make arrangements that, on the one hand, contribute to the dissemination of information concerning the state policy of the RF with regard to fellow countrymen and, on the other, facilitate access to information both in,Russia and the countries in which fellow countrymen live on the situation of the fellow countrymen. Further positive points of the law The law makes a separate mention of the fact that both the federal state organs and those of the legal entities are obliged to elaborate and implement the state policy of the RF with regard to fellow countrymen, co-operate with fellow countrymen in the assertion of their basic human and civil rights, and take steps should these be violated and for the sake of their restoration (Article 22). In order that the goals of the state policy of the RF with regard to fellow countrymen be fulfilled, Russian natural and legal personalities moreover the foreign persons and organisations that provide financial aid or assistance to fellow countrymen, may be granted tax, customs, and other benefits and prerogatives in proportion to the number of fellow countrymen and the dimensions of their organisations (Article 24). The law, by making extensively possible the acquisition of Russian citizenship, may promote the settlement of the legal status of persons who have become stateless following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Russian citizenship is open to all former Soviet citizens and their direct-line descendants who have not expressed voluntarily their wish to be the citizens of another country (Article tt, Section 4). (Article 14 of the federal law on citizenship that entered into force on May 31, 2002 also makes the acquisition of Russian citizenship under simplified procedure possible for those persons who possessed USSR citizenship and have not received citizenship in the newly independent states in which they have lived following the break up of the Soviet Union.) Since the law regards the policy concerning fellow countrymen as a fundamental part of the internal and foreign policies of the RF (Article 5), monitoring activity with regard to fellow countrymen is organised in support of this policy (gathering, analysing, and evaluating data, creating a databank, preparing forecasts concerning their situation, and performing scientific-research activities). The work of the monitoring activity is organised by the government (Article 25). The intention to consider the interests of fellow countrymen is indicated by the fact that the fellow countrymen can establish their own social-consultative organisations - while observing the appropriate rules - at both the federal and legal entity level of the state power (Article 26). 2003. ősz 43
