After inspecting the warship, the President met with the crew. He said that the Pacific Fleet would remain one of the main guarantors of Russia’s interests in the Far East and in other sectors of the Pacific Ocean.
President Putin discussed combat-training programmes, logistics support, the switch over of the national armed forces to contract service, conscription-service duration and the privileges of conscripts enrolling at universities and colleges.
The Russian leader said there were plans to hold comprehensive military exercises involving all of the Navy’s fleets.
Mr Putin met with Vice Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, Commander of the Pacific Fleet, and Colonel General Pavel Tarasenko, Commander of the Federal Frontier Service’s Pacific Regional District, and discussed border-control issues, cooperation among Russian, Chinese and Korean border guards, as well as cooperation of Russian border guards with the Pacific Fleet.