Use of the Funds of the Russian Federation’s Voluntary Contribution to the 2010 Budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

PRESS RELEASE

Pursuant to Russian Government Resolution No. 1518-r of November 25, 2004, Russia has been making annually since 2005 a voluntary donation of US$2 million to the budget of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the purposes envisioned by the Statute of this international humanitarian agency.

These funds are transferred to finance priority projects for the Russian Federation, whose earmark spending is annually determined by the Russian side in cooperation with the UNHCR.

In accordance with the agreed-upon plan of distribution of the contribution to the 2010 UNHCR budget, US$1.5 million was spent on financing projects in Afghanistan, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Latvia, Estonia and the seven member states of the CSTO (Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). The remaining part – US$500,000 – bore an untied character.

The next contribution is to be made before the end of this year.

October 26, 2011