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Dmitry Medvedev congratulated the officers on their new titles and senior command positions, and wished them good health and success in their work. In his remarks at the ceremony, the President outlined the law enforcement and security agencies’ main tasks, and also touched on the armed conflicts underway in different parts of the world, including the emergence of an arc of instability across North Africa and the Middle East.

Mr Medvedev said it is Russia’s position that these conflicts should be resolved without resorting to military force, through peaceful means and on the basis of international mediation. Russia has no plans to become involved in any military operations currently underway in the complicated North African region, the President said. This line will underpin Russia’s foreign policy efforts, and its internal decisions. At the same time, Russia will continue to fulfil earlier decisions approved by the UN Security Council.

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Comrade officers,

It is a pleasure to congratulate you on these latest successes in your careers, on your appointments to senior positions, and the conferment of new titles.

As the people in charge of our security agencies you have big powers. You have big responsibilities too of course, because it is you who are responsible for our country’s national security in the broad sense, for giving our armed forces new features, increasing its combat capabilities, strengthening the officers’ corps, and developing the different services and departments under your charge.

The military factor has not lost its importance in the world today. Sadly, we have seen of late how armed conflicts spread through not just individual countries, but across entire regions and swathes of continent. The emergence of an arc of instability in North Africa and the Middle East is just the latest example.

Russia follows a responsible policy in this respect. We fulfil our international obligations in line with the decisions approved by the UN Security Council, and we will continue to uphold the Security Council’s decisions and resolutions.

The military factor has not lost its importance in the world today. Sadly, we have seen of late how armed conflicts spread through not just individual countries, but across entire regions and swathes of continent.

At the same time, it is our view that the conflicts currently underway should be resolved without resorting to military force, through peaceful means and on the basis of international mediation. In any case, Russia has no plans to take part in the military operations currently underway in this rather complicated region. This line guides us in our foreign policy and in the internal decisions we make. At the same time, as I said, we will continue to fulfil earlier decisions taken by the UN Security Council. 

We are in the process of modernising our armed forces. Mobile and modern armed forces are the guarantees of our country’s defence capability and confident development in the decades ahead.

Military units moved over to a new organisational and staff structure in 2010. New strategic operation management and command centres have been established. It is the state authorities’ duty at the same time to guarantee social protection for our servicemen. This is my duty as Commander-in-Chief.

A few days ago, on April 1, as we agreed, indexation of military service pay was carried out. Service pay will get a substantial increase next year, and everything will go ahead according to my instructions. I am sure that the armed forces commanders realise the full extent of the tasks before them, and will put the maximum effort into ensuring they are carried out in full. Successful modernisation of our armed forces depends on your professionalism.

The Federal Security Service plays a key part in preventing terrorism and other state security threats. I especially want to emphasise how important it is to get early warning of criminal plans and take swift action to prevent any attempts to destabilise the social and political situation in the North Caucasus.

Cooperation between the various parts of the armed forces and the law enforcement agencies is crucial in this respect. The recent joint operation against an armed group in Ingushetia on March 28 was an example of this kind of cooperation. The operation was a success, and I have already told the FSB heads to prepare the nominations for state decorations for those who took part in it.

Economic security and closer monitoring of the way public money allocated for big international and domestic events is spent are also priorities for your work.

I note the Federal Protective Service’s work, and I hope that you will continue to carry out your duties, guarding all sites under your charge, and ensuring that all of the different government communications systems run smoothly.

The fast-changing international situation places particular missions before the Foreign Intelligence Service. Your timely information analysis and forecasts of global developments help the country’s leadership to make quick decisions on domestic and foreign policy matters. In this context it is also very useful for you to broaden your contacts with your colleagues. 

The Special Facilities Service also has a big part to play in supporting the mobilisation readiness of our state and military management and command services.

The Federal Corrections Service is the subject of much public attention today. We need to do everything we can to introduce modern standards of work in our corrections facilities and ensure that they measure up to the highest level.

Effective work by the Federal Drug Control Service also has great importance for state security policy. We must combine public and private efforts to develop a national system for the medical and social rehabilitation of drug addicts, and of course we need to cut off the drug supply channels to our country and other markets.

The Emergency Situations Ministry makes a big contribution to our country and people’s security. The ministry’s specialists recently demonstrated their top professional class once again during the disaster relief operations in Japan. I hope the ministry’s personnel will continue to carry out their duties to such a high standard.

Colleagues, once again, I congratulate you on your high military titles and appointments. I hope they will be a real incentive in your work.

I wish you good health, prosperity, and success!

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We are in the process of modernising our armed forces. Mobile and modern armed forces are the guarantees of our country’s defence capability and confident development in the decades ahead.

Colleagues, one always feels special emotion in this hall. I have occasion to be here more often than you, but I nevertheless always feel a sense of pride for our country and for the achievements our forebears accomplished over the various stages of Russia’s development. I hope that all of you here will give the fullest of yourselves in your work.

The world is changing, as I and the other speakers today noted in our remarks, but we must nonetheless always be ready to defend our country, defend it within, and defend its external borders. This defence can be quiet protection, and it can also be ensured through military action. Unfortunately, as recent history has taught us, circumstances can arise in which we find ourselves having to take part in armed conflicts.

Why do I say this now? I make this point because all of the decisions I have approved as Commander-in-Chief must be carried out, regardless of the difficult circumstances in which we live, and the difficulties we face with the state budget. And not because the Commander-in-Chief decided these things, but because the nature of our times dictates them. 

We cannot leave our vast country with insufficiently developed armed forces and law enforcement agencies. We would find ourselves simply torn to pieces if we did. Every country needs to provide itself with capable defences, and Russia especially so, given the great length of our country’s borders and also the many different problems we face at home as we go through this complex stage in our development.

This makes it imperative that the decisions made be carried out, and the money earmarked be spent on developing the armed forces, security services and law enforcement agencies, and providing them with the new arms and equipment they need in order to not pale beside their counterparts, with whom they often have to compete in various situations.

I make a point of saying this here, so that you realise that all of the decisions on funding for state arms procurement, military reform, police reform, and developing the other security and law enforcement agencies must be carried out in full, regardless of the various circumstances that come up. I will be monitoring this personally.

Once again, I congratulate you on your high military titles and appointments, and hope you will give worthy service to our country.

I wish success in your work and good health!