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The instruction has been issued in response to the situation with the provision of land for construction of diplomatic missions in Moscow.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin have received instructions to submit proposals for the fulfilment of Russia’s obligations under existing intergovernmental agreements and on the punishment of the officials of federal executive authority and Moscow executive authority responsible for the situation.

Prosecutor General Yury Chaika has been instructed to check the legality of actions related to the registration of ownership rights to land.

In accordance with Presidential Executive Order of November 22, 1993 federally owned land plots in different areas of Moscow were reserved for diplomatic missions. In accordance with existing intergovernmental agreements concluded in the period between 1984 and 1991, these land plots were intended to accommodate the diplomatic missions of 12 states.

In August 2003, Moskomregistratsiya (the Moscow Department of the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography) illegally registered the ownership rights to these sites as belonging to commercial organisations. The Moscow City Government selected no alternative sites for diplomatic missions. Under existing intergovernmental agreements the Russian Federation has an obligation to provide 37 hectares of land.

In 2010, Dmitry Medvedev instructed Moscow’s then-Mayor Yury Luzhkov to propose alternative solutions to this problem, while Prosecutor General Yury Chaika and Presidential Aide and Head of the Presidential Control Directorate Konstantin Chuychenko were instructed to monitor the situation.