PARIS, October 8. /TASS/. About 50 French nationals contacted the Russian embassy in Paris after Russia passed a decree on support for people that share traditional moral values, the Russian embassy press office said.

"As of today, the consular department of the Russian embassy in France has already received about 50 requests from the French for detailed information regarding the procedure of provision of residence permit for foreigners that share traditional Russian moral and spiritual values," the embassy said.

The embassy noted that the procedure for provision of visas and residence permits, as well as Russian citizenship for French nationals has existed for years. The applicants include descendants of the old Russian emigration, who "see their future and the future of their children in Russia" and plan to settle down here. The embassy assured that the mechanisms for support of such compatriots and French citizens, "first and foremost, the ones who make a noticeable contribution in defending the interests of our country," will continue to develop.

"The abovementioned decree of the president of Russia has significantly expanded our capabilities on this track. We register high interest from the French citizens," the embassy added.

The embassy pointed out that a special page with information in both Russian and French has been added to the embassy website, detailing the visa provision procedure, which makes it possible to contact the Russian Ministry of the Interior in order to apply for a residence permit.

The presidential decree in question provides for a preferential procedure for relocation to Russia for people who oppose the Western values. According to the head of state, the decree was prepared with consideration of a high number of applications from foreigners - both celebrities and ordinary people. On September 12, the Russian president claimed that a number of countries have lost their moral boundaries, and their people take for granted what begins as xenophobia and then turns into extreme forms of discrimination.

On October 2, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Consular Department Alexey Klimov told TASS that Moscow may expand the list of countries, whose citizens may relocate to Russia via the simplified procedure.