MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma, or lower parliament house, on Tuesday passed in the third and final reading a law giving the president the power to defend Russia and its citizens from any decisions or actions by foreign or international agencies that run counter to the interests or fundamentals of public order in Russia.

The amendment to the law on security was elaborated at the request of State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin at a meeting dedicated to amending national laws to ban the activities of the International Criminal Code (ICC) in Russia.

Apart from that, the document amends the law on peacekeeping activities allowing all servicemen to take part in peacekeeping missions after special training.

Under current law, only contracted soldiers can take part in peacekeeping activities.

According to the explanatory note to the bill, this initiative will make it possible for Russia to get more military personnel to participate in peacekeeping missions.