VLADIVOSTOK, September 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia's law on foreign agents is almost a copy of the US law, but much more liberal.

"This law has been active in the US since 1937 or 1938, [I think], ours is almost a copy, only it's much more liberal. We talk about it all the time," he said at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

The president pointed out that the US law provides for criminal prosecution and imprisonment for certain actions. "Who is a foreign agent in Russia? This is a person who is engaged in public activities for the money of a foreign state. And this law does not even prohibit the continuation of these activities. It only requires the person to reveal the sources of funding. But we know very well: who pays, orders the music. If they pay here, in the country, to those people who are engaged in public activities, then at least show the source of their funding," he added.

Putin also emphasized that he is constantly asking law enforcement agencies to submit proposals on how to improve the procedure for foreign agents. "There is nothing like that here, really. There are many nuances, human rights activists have repeatedly pointed this out to me, related to the fact that under this law fall people who are not engaged in real public activity, they are engaged in ecology, something else. And we are making adjustments. And I always ask law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, investigative bodies to make some suggestions on how to improve this procedure," he said.

When asked whether it is possible to revoke the status of a foreign agent, Putin said: "Yes, it is possible. And there are such precedents, through a court decision."