MOSCOW. Dec 31 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov congratulated the personnel of the Russian Armed Forces on the occasion of the New Year Day.
"Summing up the results of the past year, I am glad for the positive moves made in the settlement of issues pertaining to the improvement of country's defense and security and further modernization of defense equipment," reads his speech published in the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper Friday.
The Defense Minister added that the past year witnessed an active improvement of combat training. "The skills of personnel and the combat readiness of units were shown explicitly during a whole bunch of large-scale strategic and tactical exercises, maneuvers, sea voyages and training launches of missiles," he said.
According to Ivanov, the leadership of the country and the Defense Ministry paid most stringent attention to social problems of personnel and their family members, having made this sphere a priority when speaking of force development. He added that the work on the improvement of prestige of armed service, improvement of authority of the military, their overall support, primarily in terms of money, accommodation and medical aid, will be continued. According to him, the defense budget for 2005, which takes into account more requirements of the Armed Forces as compared to all previous ones, will guarantee this support.
Sergei Ivanov also wished all the defenders of Motherland and veterans of the Armed Forces health, happiness, optimism and welfare. He addressed special thanks to those servicemen who will celebrate the holiday far from homes, in hot-spots, as part of peacekeeping forces, in long-term sea voyage or on alert duty.