Government Partnerships

USAID works in partnership with the Government of Russia at all levels to improve public health, strengthen democratic development, and address common transnational threats.

At the federal level, USAID works closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Development to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Avian Flu, and collaborates with the Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM) on international disaster response training and exercises.  USAID is also collaborating with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its efforts to rebuild Russia's international development assistance program. A Russian government delegation visited Washington DC in February 2008 to examine how the United States organizes its aid program, and USAID meets regularly with the Ministry in Moscow.

At the regional level, USAID has development partnerships with regions, such as Krasnoyarsk Krai and St. Petersburg, under which a wide variety of Russian and international organizations receive co-financing to carry out projects in the areas of health, microfinance, small business development, local governance, and other critical issues. USAID is in the process of identifying and developing partnership opportunities with other regional governments throughout Russia.

At the local level, USAID has supported partnerships between a dozen cities and towns in the Russian Far East and the West Coast of the United States. Over 5,000 judges and court personnel have also participated in USAID exchanges between the U.S. and Russia during the past decade, and the Community Connections program sends 150 local government officials, and other public and private professionals, to the U.S. annually.