State Duma CIS Affairs Committee head Leonid Slutsky denied a newspaper report published Tuesday that said a council to? prevent "color revolutions" would be created.
Committee members told Kommersant about the? planned creation of? the council to? combat so-called "color revolutions" and? to analyze threats to? Russia's interests in? the near abroad.
But Slutsky sharply denied the reports publicly Tuesday, calling them "complete nonsense," RBK reported.
He said a council was being created but said it would be "an expert advisory board for the committee, not a council on the dangers and challenges in fighting the 'orange' threat."
"Journalists have something mixed up," he said.
Slutsky named Russian State University for the Humanities rector Yefim Pivovar as a possible leader for the new body, which would include academics, lawyers and economists, "professionals who will help in the formation of an expert and legal base for the committee — people who are very far from revolution and counterrevolution."
In an article published Tuesday, Kommersant cited a source as saying the council would discuss the? role of? foreign NGO's as instruments of? color revolutions, the? role of? new technologies in? the organization of? protests, the? influence of? the blogoshpere and? social networks on? the masses, and? methods of? counteracting revolutionary movements as a? whole.
Committee deputy head Oleg Lebedev told the paper "One function will be defending the? interests of? our country and? that of? our allies."
The? exact functions and? composition of? the new organ will be discussed at? a meeting of? the committee April 12, Kommersant said.