Russian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should expand their presence on the international scene and, particularly, in the country’s foreign initiatives, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
“The density of Russian non-governmental organizations’ presence on the international scene does not yet correspond to the level [of Russia’s international influence],” Lavrov said at a meeting of the Russia’s Public Chamber’s International Cooperation and Public Diplomacy Council.
The Public Chamber is a state body with 126 members created in 2005 to analyze draft legislation and monitor the activities of the parliament and government. The International Cooperation and Public Diplomacy Council was established I 2012 to help Russian NGOs enter the international scene.