MOSCOW, April 8 (RIA Novosti) – The equipment and transportation capacities of the Russian Defense Ministry should be made available to the Emergency Ministry in providing humanitarian aid to foreign countries for disaster relief, the Russian government stated.
The announcement was made in an explanatory note to a new draft law published on the government’s website for legislative initiatives.
The letter introducing the bill said that previous regulations entered into force 14 years ago and were outdated, requiring serious revision.
The new draft law states that the expenses incurred by the provision of equipment and transportation by the Defense Ministry in delivering humanitarian cargos overseas will be paid for by supplemental funds allotted by the government.
According to earlier reports by the Emergency Ministry, 22 countries in 2013 received Russian humanitarian and technical aid, including the US, China and Syria. The humanitarian efforts saw 1,200 Russian citizens evacuated from affected areas.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier said Russian aid to other countries often remains invisible as it is channeled through international programs and multilateral bodies.
The country hopes for greater recognition of Russia’s contribution in solving the problems that low-income countries are facing, Lavrov said.
Moscow has previously directed humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Syria, accusing the US of encouraging extremists who are financing terrorism and arming terrorist groups.
Spending on foreign aid by Russia reached $458 million in 2012, while the world’s major aid donors spent $125.6 billion, according to the Russian Finance Ministry.
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