"Patriotic stop-list" hit target, MacArthur Foundation's departure confirms that - Kosachyov
MOSCOW. July 22 (Interfax) - The Federation Council believes the decision to adopt a "patriotic stop-list" and the subsequent closure by MacArthur Foundation of its representation were right.
"This decision made by the foundation shows that we have hit the target because this organization, without waiting for any official decisions by the Russian authorities, has decided to close and did not even try to defend its reputation as a non-politicized structure, that works solely on the goals that have been declared publicly. And the fact that the foundation is winding up its activities means only one thing: the fact that it directly or indirectly recognizes that the questions and claims addressed to it are substantiated,' Konstantin Kosachyov, the head of the Federation Council international affairs committee, told Interfax on Wednesday.
Kosachyov said the foundation is winding up its activities before a relevant decision could have been made by the Prosecutor General's Office, the Foreign Ministry and the Justice Ministry on this structure.
"I repeat: we have to state that we are on the right track and it has never been the goal of our patriotic stop-list to introduce any formal obstacles to the activities of the organizations included in it. This decision [on closure or suspension of operations] lies solely in the terms of reference of the executive authorities, and every such organization has to determine the algorithm of its actions independently," Kosachyov said.