SAROV, Nizhny Novgorod Region. July 31 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that "work aimed at ensuring the reliability and stability of weapons systems" is important for the safe development of the state.
"The quality of nuclear weapons, which have been and still are the foundation of Russia's safety, should meet the highest requirements in terms of the universality of use, effectiveness, and safety," Putin said while meeting with scientists with the Federal Nuclear Center.
"It is necessary to ensure the effective use of the potentials of the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry's centers in order to conduct a broad range of research and development activities," Putin said. Regarding the Sarov nuclear center, the president said that "the talent and knowledge of several generations of outstanding scientists and engineers is concentrated here, and this powerful intellectual and technological capital should serve the country to the full."
"It is necessary to apply the developments of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center as broadly as possible to produce civil products and to use the newest nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes," Putin said. "Federal Nuclear Center experts are working with enterprises that develop non-nuclear weapons," he said. "This work should be continued and developed," the president said.
"Developments in science and projects based on modern military technologies are also used in various industries," he said. "I know that they can be competitive on the international market," the president said.
Putin suggested discussing issues relating to work on the center and the industry in general.
The meeting participants included: Alexander Abramov (deputy head of the presidential administration), Sergei Kiriyenko (presidential envoy to the Volga Federal District), Gennady Khodyrev (governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region), Alexander Rumyantsev (atomic energy minister), and also a group officials from the Russian Federal Nuclear Center headed by the center's director Rady Ilkayev.