The issue takes on added urgency because of the dramatic increase of the number of human-induced incidents, the threat of biological and chemical terrorism and the persisting danger of new natural and environmental disasters.
Vladimir Putin cited the data provided by experts to the effect that the share of emergencies that were caused by humans had topped 70%. Many accidents occur due to neglect of the rules of operation of equipment and lack of skills.
Annual damage from floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and forest fires runs into billions of roubles, not to speak of irreparable losses, the deaths of people, the President stressed.
The President believes that if this alarming situation is to be rectified work must continue to create a high-quality and complete legal framework governing the protection of citizens and strategic objects, and the jurisdictions of the various agencies responsible for security must be clearly delimited to rule out overlap and duplication of their functions.
At the same time it is necessary to improve the system of government supervision of the privately-owned facilities that are currently on the list of critically important ones. One has to be aware that state control of these facilities protects vital national interests, Vladimir Putin said.
Taking part in the meeting were the heads of the regions, representatives of the ministries and agencies, including the Defence Ministry, the Ministry for Emergency Situations, the Atomic Energy Ministry, the Federal Security Service as well as members of the Russian Academy of Sciences.