Putin for strengthening military power

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, JULY 25. Fresh from the G-8 Summit on Okinawa, the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, stressed the importance of military power for safeguarding the country's national interests.

``Military power is the most important factor in securing the country's stability and peaceful progressive development,'' Mr. Putin said at a traditional meeting in the Kremlin with newly- promoted military top brass.

It was the first public address of the Russian leader after his return from an annual summit of the industrialised nations in Japan last week. It was also for the first time that he prioritised military factor over the economic one for Russia. Earlier, Mr. Putin said the key to ensuring the country's national interests was rebuilding its battered economy.

``Life itself has proved the thesis that defence and security must be among the top priorities of our State,'' Mr. Putin said in televised remarks. ``This is all the more important in the face of attempts to recarve the geopolitical map of the world that have direct bearing on Russia's national interests... Plans to destroy the global strategic balance pose the main international problem today.''

Mr. Putin was obviously referring to the U.S. plans to build a National Missile Defence in violation of the 1972 Russian- American Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

The Kremlin clearly used Tuesday's meeting with senior army and security officers to reiterate the military's support for Mr. Putin at a time when Russia is bogged down in its 10- month-long campaign in Chechnya and the military is split over a long- overdue reform of the armed forces.

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Section  : International
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