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Dmitry Medvedev met with Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov

May 1, 2010, Sochi

The President instructed Anatoly Serdyukov to prepare a plan for developing the Black Sea Fleet's naval base in Sevastopol, and to conclude an agreement with Ukraine on developing social infrastructure there.

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Today is a holiday. I congratulate you on it, and please extend my congratulations to all Armed Forces personnel. We are about to celebrate another great holiday, but today I would like to talk to you about a subject that has recently acquired a special urgency for our country. We must think about the social infrastructure development for the Black Sea Fleet's naval base in Sevastopol. What is very important for us is that our sailors stationed there live in modern accommodation, and have access to recreational facilities and other opportunities that the base should provide. But at the same time we have also agreed that our base will enter into an agreement with the Ukrainian side and with the city of Sevastopol, and in accordance with this agreement, we will be giving our support to a number of programmes implemented in the city of Sevastopol. Indeed, for us Sevastopol is not a foreign city, and we need to think about how the Ministry of Defence, other authorities and business structures can participate in these programmes. That is the challenge we face. I was thinking that at some point within the next month you and other agencies could prepare a plan for developing the Black Sea Fleet's naval base in Sevastopol, and submit it to me for approval.

Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov: Certainly, it will be done this month.

Dmitry Medvedev: Okay. Let's work hard and do this well, because it's high time we turned our minds to it.

May 1, 2010, Sochi