President Dmitry Medvedev will on Monday meet with representatives of unregistered political parties.
This will be the second such gathering to take place in the past two months.
The opposition plans to discuss the political reform, measures to counter vote rigging, the environmental policy and other issues.
Experts polled by RIA Novosti said the meeting is designed to confirm that the authorities “are keeping the door open for all political forces.”
A new bill awaiting Medvedev’s final approval was passed by parliament in March. It reduces the membership requirement for registering a party to 500 people from 45,000 currently. It also abolishes the requirement for parties to collect voter signatures in order to take part in elections.
An environmental activist earlier told RIA Novosti Medvedev will sign the legislation at Monday’s meeting.
The unregistered opposition People's Freedom Party (Parnas) has said it will not attend the meeting. A party spokesman downplayed the importance of the meeting, saying it will lack any "substantial discussion."
Parnas was denied registration in June last year but the new bill makes it possible for it to re-apply.
