Russia could soon stop issuing biometric...

A migration service spokesman told Kommersant the problem was a lack of money to test the system, while a Communications Ministry spokeswoman said budget funding for development of the new system was a fraction of what was required.

Biometric passports have been introduced around the world, with governments saying they improve security by making forgeries almost impossible, although privacy advocates and some security experts oppose their use.

MOSCOW, November 24 (RIA Novosti)