Mr Fradkov’s appointment as director of the SVR highlights the important place of the intelligence service among Russia’s state bodies, Mr Putin said.
The President thanked Sergei Lebedev, the previous director, for his work and said he is sure that Mr Lebedev’s great experience, exceptional hardworking ability and persistence will help him to concentrate efforts on strengthening the integration processes in the CIS.
The President outlined the SVR’s main tasks today.