MOSCOW, March 13 (AVN) - Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev met with faction leaders of the State Duma lower house of Russian parliament on Tuesday.
Attending the meeting were Boris Gryzlov of Unity, Boris Nemtsov of Union of Right-Wing Forces, Yevgeny Primakov of Fatherland-All Russia, Gennady Raikov of People's Deputy, Igor Lebedev of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Vladimir Lukin of Yabloko, Viktor Ozerov, chairman of the upper house defence committee, and Andrei Nikolayev, chairman of the Duma defence committee.
Asked to comment on the results of the meeting, a high ranking Defence Ministry official said they were "encouraging." According to him, "Sergeyev is satisfied with the results of the meeting." The minister briefed lawmakers on the plans of the military reform, as well as on his ministry's priorities in the defence-related legislation.
Sergeyev stressed that bills on martial law, state of emergency, alternative service, legal status and financial-economic activity of military organisations, and amendments to the law "Concerning the Status of Servicemen" related to adjusting their pay to that of civil servants were of utmost importance.
Officials also discussed co-operation between the Defence Ministry's command and services and parliament's profile committees.