FACTFILE: Religious Affairs Agencies.

FACTFILE: Religious Affairs Agencies.

Keston News Service, 29 January 2002

Directory of government agencies handling religious affairs in the CIS, Baltic republics, Eastern Europe and China. The role of such state or government agencies varies widely from country to country. Compiled by Felix Corley, the list draws on information provided by a number of embassies in London, Keston's Moscow and Central Asian correspondents and contacts in the region.

COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS)

ARMENIA

Hayastani Hanrapetutsyan kroni gortseri petakan khorurd

State Council on Religious Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

Reports to the Government

Chairman: Mr Razmik Markossian (appointed July 2000)

Deputy chairman: Mr Eduard Safarian

Address:

3 Abovyan St

375001 Yerevan

Armenia

Tel: +374 1 564634

Fax: +374 1 564563

Tel/Fax: +374 1 564181

AZERBAIJAN

State Committee for Relations with Religious Organisations

Chairman: Mr Rafik Aliyev (appointed 2001)

Deputy Chairman: Mr Namik Allahverdiyev

Deputy Chairman (acting): Mr Mustafa Ibrahimov

12 Akhmed Djavad str.

Baku

Azerbaijan

Tel: + 994 12 92 93 33

Tel/Fax: + 994 12 92 69 85

E-mail: addk@addk.org

BELARUS

State Committee for Religious Affairs and Ethnic Minorities

Reports to Cabinet of Ministers

Chairman: Mr Stanislav Nikiforovich Buko (appointed November 2001)

Deputy Chairman: Mr Ivan Janovich

Address:

Kommunisticheskaya 11, Suite 411

Minsk, 220029

Belarus

Tel: +375 17 2848965, 2846344

Fax: +375 17 2846344

GEORGIA

No state agency. Religious affairs are handled by the Deputy State

Minister.

Address:

7 Ingorokva St

380018 Tbilisi

Georgia

Tel: +995 32 935033

Fax: +995 32 989710

KAZAKHSTAN

Council for Religious Affairs

Chairman: Mr Amambek Mukhashev

Address:

Astana

Kazakhstan

Tel: +7 3172 152690

Department for Work with Confessions, Ministry of Culture, Information

and Social Accord

Minister: Mr Mukhtar Abrar-Uly Kul-mukhammed

Address:

Astana

Kazakhstan

Tel: +7 3172 322405

KYRGYZSTAN

State Commission for Religious Affairs

Chairman: Mr Omurzak Mamayusupov

Deputy Chair: Ms Natalya Shadrova

Address:

ul. Kievskaya, 96-B, kom. 105

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan

Tel: + 996 312 220576, 222987

Fax: + 996 312 661821

Also office in Osh, due to become main office. Has no telephone.

MOLDOVA

Serviciul de Stat pentru Problemele Cultelor pe linga Guvernul Republicii

Moldova

State Service for the Affairs of Cults

Chairman: Mr Gheorghe Armasu, director of the State Service for

Minorities issues

(appointed November 1993)

Address:

124 Stefan cel Mare str

MD-2012, Chisinau

Moldova

Tel: +373 2 233663, 271814

Fax: +373 2 233663

RUSSIA

Council for Relations with Religious Associations

Reports to President

Head: Head of presidential administration Mr Aleksandr Voloshin

Secretary: Mr Aleksandr Ilyich Kudryavtsev

Address:

4 Staraya Ploshad

103132 Moscow

Russia

Tel: +7 095 2063583

Fax: +7 095 2063433

Department for Relations with religious associations of the Directorate

for relations with political parties, social associations, fractions and

deputies of the Federation Council

Head: Mr Andrei Oskarovich Protopopov

Address:

4 Staraya Ploshad

103132 Moscow

Russia

Tel: +7 095 2064997

Fax: +7 095 2065432

Department of the Governmental Apparatus for links with social

organisations and religious associations

Head: Mr Sergei Ivanovich Zhiganov

Deputy Head: Mr Andrei Yevgenevich Sebentsov

Address:

2 Krasnopresnenskaya Nab.

103274 Moscow

Russia

Tel: +7 095 2056681, 2058951

Fax: +7 095 2055015

Commission for Questions of Religious Associations

Reports to government

Head: Deputy Prime Minister Mrs Valentina Matvienko

Deputy: Andrei Yevgenievich Sebentsov

Address:

2 Krasnopresnenskaya Nab

103274 Moscow

Russia

Tel: +7 095 2055451

Fax: +7 095 2055410

TAJIKISTAN

Committee on Religious Affairs attached to the Government

Reports to: Council of Ministers

Chairman: Mr Saidjon Akhmedov

Deputy Chairman: Mr Ikromiddin Negmatov

Chief Specialist: Mr Rabi Aliev

Address:

80 Prospekt Rudaki (Presidential Palace)

Dushanbe

Tajikistan

Tel: +992 372 233366, 214065, 218183

Fax: +992 372 216005

TURKMENISTAN

Gengeshi for Religious Affairs

reports to President

Chairman: Mr Yagshymyrat Atamyradov

Deputy Chairman: Chief Mufti Nasrullah ibn Ibadullah

Deputy Chairman: Father Andrei Sapunov

Deputy Chairman: Mr Murad Karriev

Address:

ul. Shevchenko 41a

744300 Ashgabad

Turkmenistan

Tel: +993 12 353370, 393468, 392830

UKRAINE

Derzhavnyi komitet Ukraini u spravakh religii

State Committee for Religious Affairs

Reports to Cabinet of Ministers

Chairman: Mr Viktor Bondarenko (appointed 1997)

Deputy Chairman: Mr Nikolai Romanovich Novichenko

Address:

Prorizna 15

252164 Kyiv

Ukraine

Tel: +380 44 229 3716

Fax: +380 44 2293643

UZBEKISTAN

Vazirlar Makhkamasi Khuzuridagi din Ishlari Buuicha Khumita

Committee of Religious Affairs with Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic

of Uzbekistan

Chairman: Mr Fazil Sabirov (since spring 1999)

First Deputy Chairman: Mr Shoazim Minovarov

Deputy Chairman: Mr Salim Melikulov

Address:

6 Mustakillik maidoni,

700078 Tashkent

Uzbekistan

Tel: +998 71 1394221, 1394105

Fax: +998 71 1391763

UNRECOGNISED ENTITIES IN CIS

ABKHAZIA

Council for Religious Affairs of the Cabinet of Ministers

Plenipotentiary: Mr Rezo Nikolaevich Katsia [works from home]

Address:

Sukhum

Abkhazia

Tel: +995 122 21441

Fax: +995 122 21441

CHECHNYA

No information.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH

There is no state agency handling religious affairs.

TRANSDNIESTER

Commissioner of religion and cults

Reports to president

Chairman: Mr Pyotr Aleksandrovich Zalozhkov

Assistant: Tamara Aleksandrovna Kovalchuk

Address:

12-v ul. Shevchenko

Tiraspol

Tel: +373 33 62722

BALTIC STATES

ESTONIA

Siseministeeriumi Usuasjade Osakond

Ministry of Interior department for religious affairs

Head of department: Mr Ilmo Au

Address:

Pikk 61

15065 Tallinn

Estonia

Tel: +372 612 5057

Fax: +372 612 5077

E-mail: Ilmo@sisemin.gov.ee

LATVIA

Religisko lietu parvalde

Board of Religious Affairs

Reports to Ministry of Justice

Head Dr Ringolds Balodis

Address:

Pils laukums 4

Riga, LV-1050

Latvia

Tel/fax +371 7220585

E-mail: ringb@delfi.lv

LITHUANIA

Lietuvos Vyriausybes patarejas religiju klausimais

Government adviser on religious affairs

Mr Julius Ratkus

Address:

Gedimino pr. 11

LT-2039 Vilnius

Lithuania

Tel: +370 2 663741

Fax: +370 2 221088

j.ratkus@lrvk.lt

EASTERN EUROPE

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

-MUSLIM/CROAT FEDERATION

There is no state agency handling religious affairs.

-REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

Ministarstvo vera

Ministry of Religion

Minister: Mr Dusan Antelj

Address:

78000 Banja Luka

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Tel/fax: +387 51 217262

BULGARIA

Direkcia po veroizpovedaniata pri Ministerskia Savet

Religious Affairs Directorate of the Council of Ministers

Director Mr Lubomir Mladenov

Address:

1 Kniaz Aleksander Dondukov blvd.

1000 Sofia

Bulgaria

Tel: +359 2 887 20 60

Fax: +359 2 88 04 88

CROATIA

There is no state agency handling religious affairs.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Odbor cirkvi

Department of Churches

Reports to Ministry of Culture

Head: Ms Jana Repova

Address:

Prague

Czech Republic

Tel: +420 2 57085571

Fax: +420 2 33371868

Email: repovaj@mkcr.cz

MACEDONIA

There is no state agency handling religious affairs.

ROMANIA

Secretariatul de Stat pentru Culte

State Secretariat for Religious Denominations

Reports to: Ministry of Culture and Religious Denominations

Director:

Deputy director: Mr Stefan Ionita

Address:

Str. Nicolae Filipescu 40

70136 Bucharest

Romania

Tel: 1 2118116, 2114040

Fax: 1 2109471

Email: ssc@mediasat.ro

SLOVENIA

Urad za Verske Skupnosti

Office for Religious Communities

Reports to government

Director: Dr Drago Cepar

Address:

Dalmatinova 2/XII

1000 Ljubljana

Slovenia

tel: + 386 1 231 0670

fax: + 386 1 232 7564

E-mail: info.uvs@gov.si

Website: www.gov.si/uvs/

YUGOSLAVIA

-FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

Savezni sekretarijat za vere

Federal Secretariat for Faiths

Secretary: Bogoljub Sijakovic

Address:

Palata Federacije

Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2

11070 Novi Beograd

Tel: +381 11 3114480

Fax: +381 11 604565

E-mail: bogoljub.sijakovic@gov.yu

-SERBIA

Ministarstvo vera

Ministry of Religion

Minister: Mr Vojislav Milovanovic

Deputy minister: Mr Zivojin Stijepic

Address:

Resavska 42

11000 Belgrade

Serbia

Tel: +381 11 3617628

Fax: +381 11 3616595

E-mail: min_vera@uzzpro.sr.gov.yu

-MONTENEGRO

After the resignation of the Minister of Religion in January 2001, the

Prime Minister took the post

ASIA

CHINA

Religious Affairs Bureau

Director: Mr Ye Xiaowen

Deputy Director: Ms Guo Wei

Head of Christian affairs department: Ms Ma Yuhong

Address:

22 Xi'anmen Street

Beijing 100017

China

Tel/Fax: 00 86 10 6309 9216

	FACTFILE: Religious Affairs Agencies.
	Keston News Service, 29 January 2002
	Directory of government agencies handling religious affairs in the CIS, Baltic republics, Eastern Europe and China. The role of such state or government agencies varies widely from country to country. Compiled by Felix Corley, the list draws on information provided by a number of embassies in London, Keston's Moscow and Central Asian correspondents and contacts in the region. COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS) ARMENIA Hayastani Hanrapetutsyan kroni gortseri petakan khorurd State Council on Religious Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Reports to the Government Chairman: Mr Razmik Markossian (appointed July 2000) Deputy chairman: Mr Eduard Safarian Address: 3 Abovyan St 375001 Yerevan Armenia Tel: +374 1 564634 Fax: +374 1 564563 Tel/Fax: +374 1 564181 AZERBAIJAN State Committee for Relations with Religious Organisations Chairman: Mr Rafik Aliyev (appointed 2001) Deputy Chairman: Mr Namik Allahverdiyev Deputy Chairman (acting): Mr Mustafa Ibrahimov 12 Akhmed Djavad str. Baku Azerbaijan Tel: + 994 12 92 93 33 Tel/Fax: + 994 12 92 69 85 E-mail: addk@addk.org BELARUS State Committee for Religious Affairs and Ethnic Minorities Reports to Cabinet of Ministers Chairman: Mr Stanislav Nikiforovich Buko (appointed November 2001) Deputy Chairman: Mr Ivan Janovich Address: Kommunisticheskaya 11, Suite 411 Minsk, 220029 Belarus Tel: +375 17 2848965, 2846344 Fax: +375 17 2846344 GEORGIA No state agency. Religious affairs are handled by the Deputy State Minister. Address: 7 Ingorokva St 380018 Tbilisi Georgia Tel: +995 32 935033 Fax: +995 32 989710 KAZAKHSTAN Council for Religious Affairs Chairman: Mr Amambek Mukhashev Address: Astana Kazakhstan Tel: +7 3172 152690 Department for Work with Confessions, Ministry of Culture, Information and Social Accord Minister: Mr Mukhtar Abrar-Uly Kul-mukhammed Address: Astana Kazakhstan Tel: +7 3172 322405 KYRGYZSTAN State Commission for Religious Affairs Chairman: Mr Omurzak Mamayusupov Deputy Chair: Ms Natalya Shadrova Address: ul. Kievskaya, 96-B, kom. 105 Bishkek Kyrgyzstan Tel: + 996 312 220576, 222987 Fax: + 996 312 661821 Also office in Osh, due to become main office. Has no telephone. MOLDOVA Serviciul de Stat pentru Problemele Cultelor pe linga Guvernul Republicii Moldova State Service for the Affairs of Cults Chairman: Mr Gheorghe Armasu, director of the State Service for Minorities issues (appointed November 1993) Address: 124 Stefan cel Mare str MD-2012, Chisinau Moldova Tel: +373 2 233663, 271814 Fax: +373 2 233663 RUSSIA Council for Relations with Religious Associations Reports to President Head: Head of presidential administration Mr Aleksandr Voloshin Secretary: Mr Aleksandr Ilyich Kudryavtsev Address: 4 Staraya Ploshad 103132 Moscow Russia Tel: +7 095 2063583 Fax: +7 095 2063433 Department for Relations with religious associations of the Directorate for relations with political parties, social associations, fractions and deputies of the Federation Council Head: Mr Andrei Oskarovich Protopopov Address: 4 Staraya Ploshad 103132 Moscow Russia Tel: +7 095 2064997 Fax: +7 095 2065432 Department of the Governmental Apparatus for links with social organisations and religious associations Head: Mr Sergei Ivanovich Zhiganov Deputy Head: Mr Andrei Yevgenevich Sebentsov Address: 2 Krasnopresnenskaya Nab. 103274 Moscow Russia Tel: +7 095 2056681, 2058951 Fax: +7 095 2055015 Commission for Questions of Religious Associations Reports to government Head: Deputy Prime Minister Mrs Valentina Matvienko Deputy: Andrei Yevgenievich Sebentsov Address: 2 Krasnopresnenskaya Nab 103274 Moscow Russia Tel: +7 095 2055451 Fax: +7 095 2055410 TAJIKISTAN Committee on Religious Affairs attached to the Government Reports to: Council of Ministers Chairman: Mr Saidjon Akhmedov Deputy Chairman: Mr Ikromiddin Negmatov Chief Specialist: Mr Rabi Aliev Address: 80 Prospekt Rudaki (Presidential Palace) Dushanbe Tajikistan Tel: +992 372 233366, 214065, 218183 Fax: +992 372 216005
	TURKMENISTAN Gengeshi for Religious Affairs reports to President Chairman: Mr Yagshymyrat Atamyradov Deputy Chairman: Chief Mufti Nasrullah ibn Ibadullah Deputy Chairman: Father Andrei Sapunov Deputy Chairman: Mr Murad Karriev Address: ul. Shevchenko 41a 744300 Ashgabad Turkmenistan Tel: +993 12 353370, 393468, 392830 UKRAINE Derzhavnyi komitet Ukraini u spravakh religii State Committee for Religious Affairs Reports to Cabinet of Ministers Chairman: Mr Viktor Bondarenko (appointed 1997) Deputy Chairman: Mr Nikolai Romanovich Novichenko Address: Prorizna 15 252164 Kyiv Ukraine Tel: +380 44 229 3716 Fax: +380 44 2293643 UZBEKISTAN Vazirlar Makhkamasi Khuzuridagi din Ishlari Buuicha Khumita Committee of Religious Affairs with Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan Chairman: Mr Fazil Sabirov (since spring 1999) First Deputy Chairman: Mr Shoazim Minovarov Deputy Chairman: Mr Salim Melikulov Address: 6 Mustakillik maidoni, 700078 Tashkent Uzbekistan Tel: +998 71 1394221, 1394105 Fax: +998 71 1391763 UNRECOGNISED ENTITIES IN CIS ABKHAZIA Council for Religious Affairs of the Cabinet of Ministers Plenipotentiary: Mr Rezo Nikolaevich Katsia [works from home] Address: Sukhum Abkhazia Tel: +995 122 21441 Fax: +995 122 21441 CHECHNYA No information. NAGORNO-KARABAKH There is no state agency handling religious affairs. TRANSDNIESTER Commissioner of religion and cults Reports to president Chairman: Mr Pyotr Aleksandrovich Zalozhkov Assistant: Tamara Aleksandrovna Kovalchuk Address: 12-v ul. Shevchenko Tiraspol Tel: +373 33 62722 BALTIC STATES ESTONIA Siseministeeriumi Usuasjade Osakond Ministry of Interior department for religious affairs Head of department: Mr Ilmo Au Address: Pikk 61 15065 Tallinn Estonia Tel: +372 612 5057 Fax: +372 612 5077 E-mail: Ilmo@sisemin.gov.ee LATVIA Religisko lietu parvalde Board of Religious Affairs Reports to Ministry of Justice Head Dr Ringolds Balodis Address: Pils laukums 4 Riga, LV-1050 Latvia Tel/fax +371 7220585 E-mail: ringb@delfi.lv LITHUANIA Lietuvos Vyriausybes patarejas religiju klausimais Government adviser on religious affairs Mr Julius Ratkus Address: Gedimino pr. 11 LT-2039 Vilnius Lithuania Tel: +370 2 663741 Fax: +370 2 221088 j.ratkus@lrvk.lt EASTERN EUROPE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA -MUSLIM/CROAT FEDERATION There is no state agency handling religious affairs. -REPUBLIKA SRPSKA Ministarstvo vera Ministry of Religion Minister: Mr Dusan Antelj Address: 78000 Banja Luka Bosnia-Herzegovina Tel/fax: +387 51 217262 BULGARIA Direkcia po veroizpovedaniata pri Ministerskia Savet Religious Affairs Directorate of the Council of Ministers Director Mr Lubomir Mladenov Address: 1 Kniaz Aleksander Dondukov blvd. 1000 Sofia Bulgaria Tel: +359 2 887 20 60 Fax: +359 2 88 04 88 CROATIA There is no state agency handling religious affairs.
	CZECH REPUBLIC Odbor cirkvi Department of Churches Reports to Ministry of Culture Head: Ms Jana Repova Address: Prague Czech Republic Tel: +420 2 57085571 Fax: +420 2 33371868 Email: repovaj@mkcr.cz MACEDONIA There is no state agency handling religious affairs. ROMANIA Secretariatul de Stat pentru Culte State Secretariat for Religious Denominations Reports to: Ministry of Culture and Religious Denominations Director: Deputy director: Mr Stefan Ionita Address: Str. Nicolae Filipescu 40 70136 Bucharest Romania Tel: 1 2118116, 2114040 Fax: 1 2109471 Email: ssc@mediasat.ro SLOVENIA Urad za Verske Skupnosti Office for Religious Communities Reports to government Director: Dr Drago Cepar Address: Dalmatinova 2/XII 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia tel: + 386 1 231 0670 fax: + 386 1 232 7564 E-mail: info.uvs@gov.si Website: www.gov.si/uvs/ YUGOSLAVIA -FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA Savezni sekretarijat za vere Federal Secretariat for Faiths Secretary: Bogoljub Sijakovic Address: Palata Federacije Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 2 11070 Novi Beograd Tel: +381 11 3114480 Fax: +381 11 604565 E-mail: bogoljub.sijakovic@gov.yu -SERBIA Ministarstvo vera Ministry of Religion Minister: Mr Vojislav Milovanovic Deputy minister: Mr Zivojin Stijepic Address: Resavska 42 11000 Belgrade Serbia Tel: +381 11 3617628 Fax: +381 11 3616595 E-mail: min_vera@uzzpro.sr.gov.yu -MONTENEGRO After the resignation of the Minister of Religion in January 2001, the Prime Minister took the post ASIA CHINA Religious Affairs Bureau Director: Mr Ye Xiaowen Deputy Director: Ms Guo Wei Head of Christian affairs department: Ms Ma Yuhong Address: 22 Xi'anmen Street Beijing 100017 China Tel/Fax: 00 86 10 6309 9216