MOSCOW, November 2 (RAPSI) – Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov suggested foreign entities to finance Russian NGOs through the Fund of presidential grants, RAPSI correspondent reports from the forum of the Russian Civic Chamber.

Fedotov said that foreign organizations and businesses interested in development of civil society in Russia to transfer money to Russian NGOs indirectly, through the Fund, without making them “foreign agents.”

The Council’s chairman also called for Russian companies to invest in socially-oriented businesses and to finance the Fund.

The law adopted in November 2012 requires that all NGOs engaged in political activity and receiving foreign funding register as “foreign agents”.

Under the amendments to the law adopted in 2016, political activity is linked to such fields as state-building, securing Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, enforcement of law, order and security, national defense, foreign policy, political system integrity, social and economic and national development of the country, regulation of rights and freedoms of man and citizen.

NGOs which are engaged in organization and holding of public events, including meetings, manifestations, demonstrations, discussions and performances would be deemed to be involved in political activity.

Moreover, those NGOs which are involved in work aimed at achieving certain results during elections or referendum, vote monitoring practices, establishment of election commissions or support of political parties would also be put on the list of those organizations which are engaged in political activity.