Status of large family established indefinitely, guarantees social support in all of Russia - Putin

MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) - A decree signed by the Russian president on Monday, regarding a uniform status for large families, establishes this status indefinitely and guarantees social support measures to large families across Russia, including in the event of relocation from one region to another, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"A large family is one that has three and more children. Its status is being established indefinitely. Social support will be provided for children under 18, or until the age of 23 when they study full-time at a higher-education institution or college," Putin said at a ceremony that launched the Year of Family in Russia on Tuesday.

"The decision on the uniform status of a large family is important primarily in order to guarantee the provision of social support measures to such families in every Russian region, to ensure that a large family traveling or relocating from one region to another can be sure it will receive established support measures everywhere," Putin said.

Federal regions should offer additional measures to support such families, he said.

Russia is a "family of families" which has for centuries been "home to people of various ethnicities living in peace and harmony, and the diversity of their languages, cultures and traditions does not divide but, on the contrary, unites Russia," Putin said.

"Because we share the values of a large close-knit family, they make us stronger, more confident and united. Any difficulty can be surmounted when a huge country such as ours is united. And any goal can be achieved when we are all together," Putin said.