Europe wants to participate in observing Russian presidential election

TASS news agency quoted Russian Central Election Commission member Vasily Likhachev as saying that European politicians on June 3 expressed their desire to participate in observing the Russian presidential election in 2018.

Russian voters cast ballots in the 2012 presidential election. (Source: THX/TTXVN)

During his visit to the Kingdom of Belgium, Mr. Vasily Likhachev met with the leader of the host country's Parliament, officials of the European Union (EU) foreign affairs agency and the Russian community in Brussels.

Mr. Likhachev announced that at the meetings, Belgian and European officials expressed their desire to be observers in the Russian presidential election scheduled to take place on March 18, 2018.

According to Mr. Likhachev, it is still too early to talk about issuing official invitations to international observers, but preliminary contacts are underway.

In addition, Mr. Likhachev added that the Russian Central Election Commission is promoting all necessary preparations to facilitate Russian voters living and studying abroad, with an estimated number of about 4 million people, to be able to participate in the presidential election next year.

In the 2012 presidential election, Russia welcomed a total of 774 international observers from 63 countries, with Kazakhstan, the United States, Belarus, Germany, France and Armenia having the most observers.

According to Mr. Likhachev, international observers have the freedom to choose the electoral districts and polling stations they want to monitor, cover their own expenses and are not controlled by Russia./.

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