MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax-AVN) - It is impossible to rapidly switch to a professional army in Russia, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said.
"Those who say that it is possible to switch the armed forces to a contract basis in one year are engaging in demagoguery," Ivanov told the press on Wednesday.
Taking questions from journalists, Ivanov said the priorities for reforming the army were chosen correctly.
"I cannot say that I am 100 percent satisfied with the processes that are going on in the reforms to our armed forces. You always want it to be faster and better. At the same time, I am absolutely convinced that the priorities were chosen correctly and nothing should be changed here," he said.
"In fact, the basic essence of the reforms to the Russian armed forces is absolutely identical to that on which most of the NATO countries work," Ivanov said. "Both Russia and NATO are seeking to have permanent alert units, or, according to NATO's terminology, rapid deployment forces."
"Rearming the army is no less important, and we are doing this as well. We have already decided what weapons we need, and we are not going to digress from this path. These are exactly the weapons that will be needed in the 21st century," he said.