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In first half of this year, 15,000 expats return to Russia

Igor Slyunyayev, Russian MiInister for Regional Deveopment, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta in an interview

MOSCOW, July 8 (Itar-Tass) - About 15,000 compatriots returned to Russia within the first half of 2013. A special programme presupposes that 25,000 compatriots will come back to the native land in 2013, Igor Slyunyayev, Russian MiInister for Regional Deveopment, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta in an interview published in the newspaper on Monday.

"We aim to provide for a relocation of 25,000 compatriots in the course of 2013. Within the fitst six months of this year, about 15,000 people already arrived in Russia," the Minister said, pointing out that "the plans are absolutely realistic".

The Minister said, "Omsk, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Voronezh, and Tver Regions receive the largest number of compatriots". "In all, 8,500 compatiors arrived there for permanent residence. Fifty-three constituent entities of the Russian Federation have alreaey presented their regional resettlement programmes to the Ministry for fixing," he added.

Igor Syunyayev pointed out that priority is given to regions with demographic problems. "The principle is that Federal funds are distributed among regions on a competitive basis. We give priority to those regions which have low demographics, and which have drawn up regional re-settlement programmes. "They, in turn, create conditions to attract as many compatriots as possible," he related.