"The state must keep an eye on the ongoing financing of political activities in Russia from abroad," Putin said during a meeting with a top advisor on human rights, excerpts of which were broadcast on state television newscasts.

"This is especially true if financing from abroad is carried out through state channels of other countries or if those organizations operating here in our country that are involved in political activities are being used as an instrument of foreign policy of other states," Putin said.

His comments came a day after the powerful lower house of parliament, the State Duma, gave preliminary approval to draft legislation that would impose sweeping new restrictions on tens of thousands of Russian and foreign nongovernmental organizations.

These include international charities, human rights groups and pro-democracy organizations such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International as well as domestic organizations such as rights advocates Memorial and the Soldiers' Mothers group fiercely opposed to the war in Chechnya.

The bill under consideration in the Duma has drawn sharp criticism from the NGOs themselves, while the United States and other Western governments have voiced concern over the planned restrictions and have made clear they are closely monitoring the progress of the legislation.

The head of Putin's own human rights commission, Ella Pamfilova, with whom he was shown discussing the issue on television, has also pointedly criticized the bill in the Duma.

"The bill is very poorly written. It is directed at actually freezing, not advancing, civil society," Interfax quoted her as saying Wednesday. "It is indiscriminately stamping out all public associations and non-profit organizations."

Putin and US President George W. Bush discussed the issue when they met last week in South Korea on the sidelines of a multilateral summit, and the Russian leader promised he would talk with Duma leaders to make sure any new restrictions did not undermine civil society in the country.

"We will certainly consult with them and examine this situation so that any steps taken in this area do not undermine civil society in Russia," he said in comments broadcast on state television.

But he also called for "maximum transparency" in Russian politics and added: "This means that maximum transparency must apply to all issues connected to financing of political activities in Russia."

Moves to bring NGOs under tighter state control gathered pace in Russia over the past year following the "orange revolution" in Ukraine, where Moscow accused NGOs funded in part by Western governments of backing the presidential campaign of one candidate over a Russia-backed rival.

The winner of that contest, pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, campaigned on consolidation of Ukraine's independence from Moscow, promotion of Western-style democratic values and integration with Western institutions, goals also promoted by some Western-backed NGOs in that country.

Nina Tagankina, executive director of the Helsinki Group rights organization in Moscow, said NGOs were waiting to see whether the law in the Duma, which can still be substantially modified, is approved and what its terms will be.

"According to experts, this law contradicts several points of international law as well as of the Russian Constitution," Tagankina told AFP.

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