People's Agency of Nationalities could be created in Russia

A Federal Agency of Nationalities is planned to be created in Russia, it will implement state policy in the sphere of inter-ethnic and ethno-confessional relations, Izvestia newspaper writes.

According to the newspaper, the proposal to create a government agency is mandated up to April 15th. However, there weren't any comments from the press service of the Prime Minister.

"Anyway, we need an executive body that would implement the strategy of national policy until 2025. There is a presidential council, which does a lot, but this council meets twice a year. Our committee in the State Duma prepares many issues - history books, national and patriotic education. But our committee has no partner. We have adopted important laws over these years, but it is hard. If there were such an agency, this would streamline the work," the Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Nationalities, Gadzhimet Safaraliev, told Izvestia.

Ideas of reviving the structure, which would deal with issues of ethnic policy, has appeared since the abolition of the Ministry of Federal Affairs, National and Migration Policy in 2001. Then its functions were transferred to the Ministry of the Interior and partly distributed among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. Then the questions of state national policy and international relations, protection of the rights of national minorities and indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation moved to the Ministry of Regional Development.

In 2013, the agency gave some of the powers in the sphere of control over construction and housing - it was handed over to the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation (the Ministry of Construction). In 2014, the department was abolished by presidential decree and all its powers were divided into different structures. Ethnic policy was handed over to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin conducts it in the government now.

 

Professor of the Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, a member of the commission for migration issues of the Russian Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations, Maya Astvatsaturova, in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza appreciated the initiative of the establishment of the Federal Agency of Nationalities, noting that work in this direction has been in progress for a long time."In recent years, the President has made some attempts to create different structures and politico-doctrinal documents that optimize the situation in the sphere of inter-ethnic and ethno-confessional relations: the strategy of the state national policy, and the President's Council on International Relations, which operates in the State Duma of the Russian Federation," she noted.At the same time, according to Astvatsaturova, it is necessary to create a system, a permanent body for best results. After the opening of the federal agency there will be a hope that the constituent members will pick up this valuable initiative, she said.The work of these new structures will have to be conducted at a completely different level, which would correspond to the heightened international tensions and growing security threats to Russia. The establishment of bodies that are addressing the inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations is very important, especially in the North Caucasus, the expert added."In the North Caucasus Federal District we monitor inter-ethnic, inter-religious relations under the direction of Valery Tishkov. In fact, we have no inter-ethnic conflicts, but there are ethnic tensions and hidden conflict potential. And it is projected to almost all spheres of economic, social and political relations. It should be given special attention," she said. Perhaps in the future another body at a higher level will be created, based on the federal agency, Astvatsaturova suggested.

Professor of the Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, a member of the commission for migration issues of the Russian Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations, Maya Astvatsaturova, in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza appreciated the initiative of the establishment of the Federal Agency of Nationalities, noting that work in this direction has been in progress for a long time.

"In recent years, the President has made some attempts to create different structures and politico-doctrinal documents that optimize the situation in the sphere of inter-ethnic and ethno-confessional relations: the strategy of the state national policy, and the President's Council on International Relations, which operates in the State Duma of the Russian Federation," she noted.

At the same time, according to Astvatsaturova, it is necessary to create a system, a permanent body for best results. After the opening of the federal agency there will be a hope that the constituent members will pick up this valuable initiative, she said.

The work of these new structures will have to be conducted at a completely different level, which would correspond to the heightened international tensions and growing security threats to Russia. The establishment of bodies that are addressing the inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations is very important, especially in the North Caucasus, the expert added.

"In the North Caucasus Federal District we monitor inter-ethnic, inter-religious relations under the direction of Valery Tishkov. In fact, we have no inter-ethnic conflicts, but there are ethnic tensions and hidden conflict potential. And it is projected to almost all spheres of economic, social and political relations. It should be given special attention," she said. Perhaps in the future another body at a higher level will be created, based on the federal agency, Astvatsaturova suggested.