The State Duma lower house of the Russian parliament has passed 18 laws on integration of the new regions into the Russians legal environment, House speaker Vyasheslav Volodin said.   “We must urgently and quickly form one legal space in the new regions so that people can feel protected and make plans for the future,” Russia’s TASS news agency quoted Volodin as saying. “As of today, 18 laws have been passed for achieving this objective.  Eight lawbills are under review; the first readings of seven of them have been approved. It will remain our priority next year.”   On December 22, the parliament had the final meeting in its autumn 2022 session. Lawmakers will be working with voters in Russian regions until the session ends on December 31. The spring session begins on January 9. Lawmakers will work in the regions in the first week before returning for the first plenary meeting on January 16.   The Lugansk People’s Republic, Donetsk People’s Republic and Zaporozhye and Kherson regions acceded to Russia on September 30, 2022, based on the results of the unification referenda.*i*v