International events: The IV World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad in Saint-Petersburg

26 October 2012
Source: Voice of Russia

October 26-27, 2012 in Saint-Petersburg is taking place the IV World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad. 540 delegates from 94 countries and 250 participants from Russia in the Tauride Palace will discuss the problems of life of the Russian Diaspora abroad.

Another important theme of the meeting is to help to resettle Russians home. To unite 30 million immigrants from Russia and abroad and to raise the international prestige of the Russian community - that is the aim of the World Congress of Compatriots. As repeatedly emphasized President of Russia Vladimir Putin, including the greetings to the previous Congress, the support of the Russian Diaspora abroad is a priority of national policy. The forum is organized by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It brings together leaders and activists of the world's compatriot organizations and government officials.

Protecting the rights of immigrants from Russia abroad and the proliferation of the world of the Russian language, culture and education will be the topics of discussion at the World Congress of Compatriots on October 27.

The Russian Diaspora abroad is one of the largest in the world. 10 million Russians live in foreign countries. Their families have emigrated, mainly in the Soviet era. 20 million Russians stayed in the former Soviet republics after the Soviet collapse in 1991. The Congress will discuss the results and the future of the state program to facilitate their resettlement in their homeland.

By the results of the forum will be adopted a resolution that will determine the direction for the coming years.

World Congress of Compatriots is held once in three years. The previous one was held in 2009. Since then there was created the "backbone of the Russian world, which establishes communication between compatriots and their historical homeland", said the deputy head of department for work with compatriots abroad the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Safronov.