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Vladimir Putin: Distinguished colleagues,

Today we are marking a jubilee of a key constitutional body, the Security Council.

Its creation 10 years ago was both necessary and timely. This has been vindicated by the past years which saw the Security Council being directly involved in dealing with complicated events and problems.

The tasks facing the Security Council have been laid down under the law. It has to deal both with strategic and current tasks and to act not only as a panel of experts and analysts, but also as a drafter of doctrinal and fundamental documents.

And I must say that the Security Council has not only kept abreast of the times, but has often worked ahead of the times. It has held practically all the key spheres of the life of the nation within its purview.

The past decades have seen cardinal changes both in Russia and in the world at large, changes that have proved to be so complicated that they could not have been coped with by means of customary and traditional methods alone.

It is likewise obvious that it is impossible in present-day conditions to ensure security only by force of arms. New technologies, notably information technologies, are rapidly spreading throughout the world. Unfortunately, they can serve not only progress, but the spread of international terrorism, drug trafficking and international crime.

In this context, no country can guarantee its security by relying solely on the potential of its own forces. That is why Russia needs to be fully integrated into an international cooperation in the security field.

But we must be able to firmly uphold our own positions. We must be ready to protect our national interests not only in today’s world, but in the world of tomorrow.

However, we have still not managed to curb crime and corruption and are not doing enough to prevent drug trafficking and extremism. We are not providing the necessary protection for businesses and, most importantly, for the interests and rights of our citizens. The solution of all these problems hinges on ensuring national security.

Whatever we do we must remember that the main goal of the work of the state and the state apparatus is to ensure a full and happy life for the country and the people.

The Security Council, which is vested with broad powers, is in a position to mobilise additional intellect, information and other resources to that end.

Present in this hall are the people who have created the Security Council “from the foundations”, who have worked out the legal and the organisational principles of its activities. The Security Council and its working bodies employ only the best specialists who are deeply dedicated to the work that they have been entrusted with. I would like to thank all of you for your bold initiatives and for your competent and painstaking work.

Once again I congratulate you on the jubilee and wish you success in the challenging business of ensuring the security of our country.