Moscow, 20 February: At its Wednesday (20 February) session, the Federation Council approved the head of the Commission on Development of Civil Society Institutions and its members. A member of the Federation Council, Boris Shpigel, was appointed head of the commission. The members of the commission are 15 other Federation Council members, including former Minister of Internal Affairs Boris Rushaylo and former head of the State Tax Service Aleksandr Pochinok.

The commission's responsibility will be the legal basis of the civil society institutions, work of public associations and NGOs, and the cooperation between civil society institutions and the federal and local authorities.

The commission will also supervise participation of civil society institutions in law-making and the relations between the state and its citizens. Besides, the commission will deal with the legal basis for involvement of individuals and public associations in implementation of the state policy in all the areas of public life and in state financing of public associations.