Foreign Ministry takes care of housing for ambassadors and permanent representatives to international organizations

Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representatives of Russia to international organizations in Russia will be provided with housing by the Presidential Administration (UDP). The draft presidential decree developed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was published on the website of draft regulatory legal acts, Vedomosti drew attention. Vedomosti sent inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UDP.

Those who have held a position for more than a year will be able to apply for housing in the Russian Federation from the UDP. Housing will be provided to ambassadors and permanent representatives upon the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and if they did not receive a subsidy for the purchase of housing for other reasons. The register of those who need housing will be kept by the commission on housing issues in the apparatus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The grounds for obtaining housing are spelled out in a closed presidential decree of December 28, 2008 (“On approval of the regulation on the procedure for providing residential premises, the management and disposal of which is entrusted to the Department of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation”).

The explanatory note says that the decree was prepared in connection with the minutes of the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko dated September 3, 2021 “in order to strengthen the social protection of the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of the Russian Federation in foreign states and the permanent representatives of the Russian Federation to international organizations “. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, being a participant in the state program “Providing affordable and comfortable housing and utilities for citizens of the Russian Federation”, provides employees of the diplomatic service holding positions of federal civil servants with subsidies for the purchase of housing, the note says. At the same time, the positions of ambassadors and permanent representatives are not included in the register of such positions, therefore they are deprived of the opportunity to purchase housing at the expense of subsidies.

“Many heads of Russian foreign missions, who have special services to the Fatherland and were awarded state awards for their great contribution to the implementation of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation and many years of conscientious work, including in countries with a difficult socio-political situation, in a state of emergency or armed conflict, having reached the limit of age, end their diplomatic careers, remaining to live in cramped conditions, often as part of two or more families, ”the note says. The need to provide housing annually will affect 2-3 employees who are finishing their diplomatic careers and live “in cramped conditions or do not have their own housing.”

Granting the UDP the authority to allocate housing to ambassadors will help strengthen the social protection of diplomatic workers and increase the prestige of the service, the Foreign Ministry believes.

The rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary is conferred by presidential decree on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. According to the regulation on the procedure for assigning and maintaining diplomatic ranks, the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary is assigned to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the First Deputy Minister, the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors at large, as well as directors of departments, permanent representatives of Russia to international organizations.

Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Leonid Kalashnikov, who was given the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary by presidential decree, supports the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Of course, if federal officials are provided with apartments or subsidies for their purchase, then why not do this for ambassadors, especially people there are not so many with such a rank in Russia.” According to Kalashnikov, these people work for the state for a long time, “travel around the countries”, but, having returned to Russia, they do not have time to earn a place to live.

Vladimir Kulagin participated in the preparation of the article