Guest Editor's Introduction

Yesterday president of the Russian Federation (RF) Vladimir Putin signed the Edict "On Measures for the Development of Federative Relationships and of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation." In accordance with the Edict the commission under the leadership of first deputy head of the president's administration Dmitry Kozak—who has long had the unofficial title of "father of the reform of local self government"—will continue its work in the Kremlin in a slightly changed composition.