President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrade officers,
I want to congratulate you on your professional holiday [National Guards’ Day] and express the hope that the decisions we have taken at the presidential and legislative levels about establishing this new federal security organisation will prove useful.
Your areas of work are of great importance: maintaining and protecting public law and order, and control over the circulation of weapons. This is very important anywhere in the world today, and important here in Russia too.
The latest terrorist attack in the Republic of Chechnya, where they attacked a national guard unit, causing victims – I ask you to pay attention to supporting the families of your colleagues who were killed – shows that control over the circulation of weapons is a critically important, even one of the most important, areas of work.
The fight against terrorism and against any terrorist manifestations, no matter where they take place, is extremely important, and all of the security and law enforcement agencies give this their utmost attention.
The National Guard’s establishment is going according to plan, and I want to thank you for this. The work is proceeding smoothly and the relevant executive order and federal law are being implemented with the hoped-for pace and quality.
We must monitor this work constantly. I count very much on your professionalism and your ability to work for results in the interests of our people.
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