The Russian government has submitted a bill to the State Duma on international development assistance that lists creating favorable conditions for exports of Russian goods and services among the goals of aid to other countries. The bill has not been enacted.
The draft envisages several forms of assistance to foreign governments, including financial support, the provision of goods and services, preferential loans and debt settlements on special terms.
The Foreign Ministry would coordinate the activities, while Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian government agency for international cooperation, would serve as a specialized implementing body. Five additional staff positions are proposed for the agency. Related expenses are estimated at 14.2 million rubles in 2027, 12.7 million in 2028 and 13.2 million in 2029. These are administrative costs, not the entire budget for Russian foreign assistance.
Explanatory materials accompanying the proposal cite the need to improve risk management and evaluation of the effectiveness of existing aid programs.