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The President also visited the brigade’s classroom building.

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Good afternoon, comrade paratroopers,

Your brigade is being presented today with a battle flag – the symbol of military honour, courage and glory.

I congratulate you all on this memorable event. The paratroopers, as we know, are usually called upon to carry out particularly difficult missions in difficult conditions.

Officers from this brigade performed their duty in Afghanistan, have taken part in peacekeeping operations in hotspots all around the world, and have always shown unflagging courage and remained loyal to their oath and their country.

Today, your brigade is part of the Eastern Military District, which is responsible for a strategically important part of our country. Your duties here require high professional standards, mobility, and close coordination with our other armed forces units and with allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. 

You must be ready to perform your duties in all different circumstances and effectively ensure our national interests in this highly complex and strategically important region. 

Your brigade has performed well in practically all of the recent major military exercises and has demonstrated good results. I am sure that you will continue to make every possible effort to build up the brigade’s combat capability, provide reliable defence of our homeland, protect our people’s peace and security, and serve our country with honesty and dignity. 

Let us now begin the ceremony of presenting the battle flag.