OREANDA-NEWS. July 01, 2010. The National Charity Foundation was established to provide social support for personnel from the Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service – support for the officers themselves, and for their families in cases when the officers have been killed while performing their duties.

Dmitry Medvedev noted that these issues are being resolved through the best kind of cooperation between the state, Russia’s traditional faiths, and civil society, including the business community. The President said that donations have come in recent years from more than 800 organisations and citizens.

Russia has been paying more attention to the regulatory foundation for charity of late. In particular, acting on the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly, the State Duma is examining a draft law that will reduce the tax burden on charitable organisations.

Mr Medvedev thanked the religious leaders on the Board of Trustees, noting the importance of their work in multi-faith Russia. The Board of Trustees’ members include, in particular, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Head of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha in Russia, Pandido Khambo-lama Damba Ayusheyev, Chief Rabbi of Russia Berl Lazar, and Supreme Mufti and Chairman of the Central Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Russia Talgat Tadzhuddin.