The head of state visited various military and special facilities. Significant attention was paid to coordinating international cooperation in the Caspian Sea.
The priority issue of the President's trip to Dagestan was coordinating different departments' work in the war against organized crime, terrorism and other such threats. The President listened to reports by representatives from various departments. In particular, Andrei Novikov, the Deputy Interior Minister, reported on efforts to liquidate organized crime and terrorist networks.
The FSB management informed the head of state that the regional division of the FSB's special-purpose centre in the Southern Federal District (SFD) has been completed, and is now functioning. During a meeting in the SFD, the President noted that similar centres will soon open in other Russian regions. The next centre will open in the Far East.
The border guard management reported to the head of state on measures taken to strengthen Russia's southern border with Kazakhstan and Georgia, and also in the Caspian and Sochi regions. The President listened to how the southern border's regime could be improved. The amount allocated for this purpose is 65 billion roubles. The border guard management reported that a number of border posts are already functioning. V. Putin visited one such post.
The President also heard reports from the management of the Armed Forces regarding their activities in the South. It was noted that significant danger results from armed gangs being able to cross the border, and that border guards’ present resources are not sufficient to allow them to prevent this.
The President of Russia’s recent decision to deploy two mountain brigades along the border in the mountainous part of the Northern Caucasus – in Dagestan and Karachaevo-Cherkesia – is connected with this theme. The brigades will be prepared and equipped according to the highest military standards, and staffed exclusively on a contract basis. 12.8 billion roubles have been allocated to the creation and development of the mountain brigades.
During the trip, the President repeatedly emphasized that military and special departments should work together as closely as possible. To this effect, a system designed to facilitate communication and to provide information is already functioning.