MOSCOW. March 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Defense enterprises should be transferred under complete control of the Russian Defense Ministry, Chairman of the Foreign and Defense Policy Council Sergey Karaganov said on Tuesday.
"The Defense Ministry should be in control of the Russian defense industry, as well as all financial assets, earmarked for defense (including mobilization and material resources development fund), as is the case throughout the world. It will certainly require a dramatic revision of its structure, functions, and tasks," Karaganov told a news conference, devoted to the report of the Foreign and Defense Policy Council on Armed Forces development and modernization.
He emphasized that the first important step in this direction had already been made. The Federal Atomic Energy Agency was transferred under control of the Russian Defense Ministry in compliance with the presidential decree "Concerning Federal Executive Power Bodies System and Structure" dated March 9, 2004.
Karaganov believes that direct responsibility for the whole defense industry, born by the Defense Ministry, will finally make the government establish a full-fledged civilian defense ministry.
Commenting on the report, Karaganov noted that its major objective was to provoke a public discussion of issues, pertaining to urgent problems, facing Russian in the sphere of military development.