MOSCOW, January 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed Thursday a bill on amendments to the law on Russian citizenship.

The bill extends the term of the simplified procedure for citizens of former Soviet republics who registered in Russia before July 1, 2002 or have a temporary residency permit in Russia until January 1, 2008.

The simplified procedure implies the possibility of obtaining Russian citizenship without needing five years of continuous residency in the country, a legal source of income or knowledge of the Russian language.