IRI Hosts Delegation from the Moscow School of Political Studies

April 18, 2002

IRI played host for a luncheon discussion with a delegation from the Moscow School of Political Studies (MSPS) on April 18. The discussion, led by IRI Board Member Bob Livingston, focused on the role of civil society and democracy in today's Russia. MSPS is a long-standing partner of IRI in Russia. The delegation was led by Elena Nemirovskaya, Ph.D., who founded the MSPS shortly after the break-up of the Soviet Union to ensure that young political leaders, businessmen, and journalists, among others, would be provided with the theoretical knowledge necessary to democratic development in Russia. Nemirovskaya, accompanied by MSPS Board Chairman Sir Rodric Braithwaite, Russian entrepreneur Sergei Nedoroslev, and State Duma Deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov, met with friends of the school, including former US Ambassador to Russia Thomas Pickering, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Richard Perle, and former Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, as well as several new contacts. IRI's Eurasia division will receive an additional $380,000 in USAID grants to further develop its NGO network and women's programs in Russia. These additional funds bring IRI closer to historic funding levels in Russia for this year.

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