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Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon,

I congratulate you on your promotions to high military positions and to higher ranks.

Strengthening the country’s officer corps is a key national task. The level of your skills, and your personal responsibility for your job go a long way to determining the overall success of military reform and the effective work of the military and security agencies. I therefore urge you to see your new appointments both as recognition of your professionalism and as being entrusted with tackling the most complicated and ambitious tasks the country faces at the present time.

Among the priorities of military development, I would like to single out the enhancement of the structure of the Armed Forces and the strengthening of their combat readiness. We are shortly to tackle a key practical task: the creation of permanent combat-ready units in all the armed services.

They must be well-equipped, well-trained and effectively controlled. Only then will the accumulated experience be relevant to the modernisation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as a whole.

Particular attention must be paid to the training and education of junior officers. The necessary conditions must be created for their professional development and growth.

They are the future of our army.

The security of the state begins with the inviolability of its borders. While we promote cooperation and border contacts with our partners, we must also remember something else. The Russian border must become an insuperable barrier to trans-national crime, smugglers, and drug traffickers. The protection of Russia’s economic interests and our bio-resources demands serious attention.

The fight against international terror remains a key area of the work of all the military and security agencies. The Federal Security Service (FSB) has a very special role to play here. I would like to recognise the growing effectiveness of the FSB units in the North Caucasus. The liquidation of insurgent groups and their leaders, and successful operational support of the anti-terrorist operation is only the visible part of the immense work currently conducted by the Federal Security Service.

Protection of property rights merits special attention. It is important to protect businessmen against pressure from the criminal world. That is a necessary pre-condition for creating a civilised business environment, attracting investment and ensuring sustained economic development. Much will depend on the professionalism and integrity of the tax police.

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Once again I congratulate you on your promotions.

Thank you.