Khodorkovsky & Lebedev Communications Center

A US-Russian government commission on civil society distanced itself from discussing human rights issues at its first meeting, focusing instead on corruption and the adoption of Russian children.

Michael McFaul, director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs on the US National Security Council, represents the US side on the commission. The Russian side is represented by Vyacheslav Surkov, deputy head of the presidential administration. Human rights groups have asked US and Russian leaders to remove Surkov from the commission; he is seen as the Kremlin's strategist behind Russia's "managed democracy."

Ella Pamfilova, head of the presidential council on civil society and human rights, said that the commission has agreed to ask Transparency International to monitor corruption in Russia and in the US with the help of local nongovernmental organizations.