Mikhail Kasyanov introduced new minister responsible for national policy to the Cabinet

Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov started today’s session of the Cabinet of Ministers with an introduction of Vladimir Zorin, head of the newly created Ministry. The new minister was appointed responsible for national policy by the President’s decree on December 6. Before the appointment Vladimir Zorin was at head of a similar committee in the Duma, was in charge of inter-confession and international problems in the Volga federal district. He took the post of Deputy President’s envoy to the district. Thus, solution of national problems will not be a complex task for Vladimir Zorin, he will not have enough authorities for it.

Staff of the new ministry, office in the White House and business trips of Vladimir Zorin will be financed at the expense of the Russian taxpayers. Earlier the Ministry for Nationalities’ Affairs headed by Alexander Blokhin dealt with migration and demography problems. The Ministry also had just minimum of responsibilities, but it managed to solve important problems due to its experience, co-operation with different governmental and non-governmental structures. For example, it dealt with problems of the Russians living abroad.

In the middle of October the Ministry for Nationalities’ Affairs was abolished by the President’s decree. Its responsibilities were distributed among the Ministry for Internal Affairs and the Foreign Ministry. So-called strategic tasks have been transferred to a ministry with a rather strange name - the Ministry of the Russian Federation.

The Ministry for Internal Affairs does not dispose of financial and human resources to solve problems of migration and citizenship. It means, there will be lots of unsettled problems with refugees, immigrants and forced migrants in Russia in the future as it is a multi-national country. Support to the Russians living abroad will be very insignificant as well.

Yekaterina Maksimova PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

In the photo: RF Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/18/34900.html