On 26 May 2005 Garant news agency conducted an Internet interview with Mikhail Yakushev, Director of the Legal department of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation, Head of IIS Directorate of Legal Programs. During the online conference M. Yakushev answered topical questions in the sphere of infocommunication legislation raised by the Internet audience.

Topic of the interview: "Legal regulation in the sphere of communications and information technologies: problems and prospects for development".

According to M. Yakushev, urgency to update information legislation is evident. He stressed the necessity to integrate legislation in the sphere of telecommunications and legislation in the sphere of information technologies.

At present the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications is drafting a new version of the Federal law of 20.02.1995 N 24-FL "On information, informatization and information protection". This new law will consolidate actually working rules of direct effect for regulation of IT
sphere. M. Yakushev mentioned that it is planned to introduce changes in the law this year, and the project will be available for discussion in the nearest future.

Speaking about the problems discussed at the recent parliamentary hearings in the State Duma on the subject "Legislative support for development of technological parks in the sphere of information and communication technologies", M. Yakushev stressed that the majority of speakers agreed that
the law drafted by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development "On special economic zones" does not cover elaborate issues on technological parks in the sphere of information technologies. This presupposes the necessity to develop another version of this law or a new law, which would shift from territorial to departmental principle of special economic zones in the sphere of IT.

Source: site of the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation