Russian scientists face curbs on meetings with foreigners

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian scientists are raising the alarm about new Soviet-style restrictions on interactions with foreign colleagues.

The science newspaper Troitsky Variant on Tuesday published a copy of a recent Russian Education Ministry decree that introduces a broad range of restrictions on meetings and communication between employees of state-owned think tanks and institutes and foreign nationals.

It said Russian scientists are now obliged to inform officials about any visit by a foreign scientist five days in advance and report on the meeting afterward. The newspaper called on the ministry to scrap the decree, saying the Soviet-style restrictions would hurt the standing of Russian science in the world.

The Education Ministry on Wednesday insisted that the decree was not an order but merely a recommendation.