President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on June 26 for the \"repatriation\" of ethnic Russian \"compatriots\" living abroad, the daily \"Gazeta\" reported on June 27. Presidential aide Viktor Ivanov has been named to chair an interdepartmental commission to oversee the program, which could potentially affect up to 4 million people, primarily from CIS countries, the paper noted. Those coming to Russia will have to choose one of 12 regions divided into three categories. Category A means border regions, Category B regions are those where major investment projects are under way, and Category C are territories with a dwindling population. Guaranteed jobs and financial support are provide only for those going to border regions. The 12 regions are largely in the Far East, in central Russia\'s Black Earth region, and in Kaliningrad Oblast. The plan is aimed at offsetting the decline in population, which Putin has spoken out about repeatedly. Some nationalist critics have charged that repatriation will not do much to offset that decline, and that Putin is undermining any possible Russian claim to or role in former Soviet republics by encouraging ethnic Russians there to leave. Other critics say that the government should do more for illegal immigrants already living in Russia before bringing in additional people. (RFE/RL)