The Kremlin eased some restrictions on Russian NGOs today ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama, in the first major move to strengthen civil society since President Dmitry Medvedev took office, according to Reuters. The move was applauded by human rights activists, who said that the reforms cover only a third of NGOs and a lot more remains to be done to improve Russia's human rights record. Medvedev, who was elected just over a year ago, proposed in May relaxing restrictions on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) imposed during the presidency of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whom rights groups had accused of hindering their work. Obama will meet human rights groups during his July 6-8 visit, which is expected to focus the spotlight on Russia's civil rights environment. "These reforms are an important step as they address some issues, registration being one of the biggest roadblocks for NGOs, so this is a great step that he (Medvedev) has taken," said Matthew Schaaf, the NGO liaison of the Moscow branch of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW). "But it is limited, it remains to be seen how it will be implemented."
