MOSCOW. Dec 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has named the fight against international terrorism as a priority for the Armed Forces in 2003.
"In 2003, the Armed Forces will again focus on providing the country's military security and tackling international terrorist threats," Ivanov told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"For this purpose, we will continue our efforts to further improve the structure of the Armed Forces, the personnel policy and to raise the level of soldiers' qualifications, in addition to purchasing modern military hardware," he said.
The defense minister said that another priority for next year is to complete the transition of the Armed Forces to a contract basis, particularly standby units. "As early as in the first half of 2003, a concept of a federal purpose-oriented program on the transition to a contract basis will be finished and submitted to the government for consideration," he said
Ivanov also announced intensive training programs to be launched in the Armed Forces. "Under the president's decree, the Pacific Fleet will hold large-scale exercises in August 2003 that will involve nearly all troops, forces, units and agencies located in the Far Eastern region, as well as personnel from the Transportation Ministry, the Energy Ministry and the State Fisheries Committee," he said.
Ivanov said that 2003 will see further scaling back of the army and fleet, designed to bring their number to one million. "There are also plans to transfer the country's Armed Forces to an interdepartmental unified administrative support system," he said.
Social security problems of servicemen, including those subject to retirement, will remain among the priorities, the minister said. "Monetary allowances of servicemen will continue to grow and will finally be adjusted to salaries of state employees," he noted.