The Russian authorities have given the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) a deadline until the end of the year to complete all ongoing projects in Russia, the Foreign Ministry's Information and Press Department told Interfax on Tuesday.

"In light of the growing economic and donor potential of the Russian Federation, the country's leadership adopted a decision in September 2009 to gradually close the representative offices of the UN's programs and funds in Russia and transfer relations with them to the level of equal mutually beneficial partnership," it said.

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