Speaking at Thursday’s FSB board meeting in Moscow, Vladimir Putin spent the first part of his speech by fueling anti-foreign skepticism and promoting patriotism in Russia. He continued by calling on the Security Service to strengthen the border guard service, both for improving cooperation with neighbors and for tightening enforcement of legal regimes.
“Today increased demands are being placed on the FSB’s Border Guards Service. We must develop infrastructure that allows us to cooperate in border protection with our partners and neighbors,” Putin told his audience of FSB officers.
Russia is currently improving the border infrastructure to Norway in the north in order to facilitate for smoother cross-border travel and cooperation. Better roads and a new custom-terminal for goods are under construction and and visa-free travel for local residents on both sides of the border was introduced last year. In the longer run, the border authorities will build a brand new border check-point at Borisoglebsk to meet the sharp increase in travelers.
Simultaneously as Putin wants to improve the infrastructure at Russia’s borders, he stresses the need to improve the tools and methods to protect the border.
“We must improve the tools and methods with which we protect our border, as well as the technical equipment of border guard agencies,” Putin said in the speech where he addressed the audience of FSB officers with “Colleagues” and “Comrades.”
“… also strengthen the system monitoring the enforcement of legal regimes. We must do this not only along the border, but also in border areas, on the continental shelf, and in the Russian Federation’s exclusive economic zone,” Putin said.
The text of the speech and a video-recording from the meeting is posted at the president’s official portal.
