Addressing the invited audience, President Putin stressed that modernisation of the armed forces remained one of the national policy priorities. The aim of the current period, he said, was to optimise the structure of military units and subsequently switch to recruitment under contract. He said an equally important concern was to enhance their combat readiness and equip them with weapons and military hardware of a new generation. In his opinion, it was also necessary to ensure the continuity of commanding officers’ cadres and troop discipline.
Speaking of law enforcement, President Putin pointed to the need for drastic changes in the training of Interior Ministry personnel. He recalled that it was the Interior Ministry that had the key role in guaranteeing the safety of ordinary people. People looked to the Ministry and other law enforcement agencies for effective and reliable protection of their legitimate rights and interests. And such results must be delivered, he said.
The meeting was attended by: Col. Gen. Vladimir Boldyrev, the newly appointed commander of the North Caucasian Military District, Col. Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the newly appointed commander of the Siberian Military District, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, the newly appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet and others.