17 February 2012
The public chamber discussed matters of civil control over security agencies of the country with military attaches.
The commission for problems of national security and social and eco-nomic conditions of life of service-men, members of their families and veterans of the public chamber con-tinues summing up of experience related to strengthening of pubic con-trol over the Armed Forces and other security agencies of Russia. On the eve of the Fatherland Defender day the commission together with the international consultation council of organizations of officers of the re-serves (MKS) and national associa-tion of unions of officers of the re-serve of the armed forces (MEGA-PIR) had a meeting with representa-tives of diplomatic missions of for-eign countries. In the course of the meeting its participants discussed the Russian and the international expe-rience of cooperation of officers of the reserve, their participation in pub-lic life, as well as problems of joint combating of terrorism and prolifera-tion of weapons of mass destruction.
Among participants of the event were chair of the presidium of the Russian association of assistance to science, president of research center Kurchatov institute and academician of the Russian academy of sciences Yevgeny Velikhov, representatives of the Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Security Council, Duma, Federation Council, government of Moscow, ambassadors and military attaches from 40 countries, as well as veterans.
Velikhov opened the meeting and told the audience about work of the public chamber and emphasized special importance of its activity in the field of national security. He said, «Officers of the reserve represent the support of the civil society of any country because they have dedicated their lives to serving to their Father-land». According to Velikhov, their uniting under the flag of MKS will contribute to strengthening of friend-ship and understanding in the world and will become an important tool of «people’s diplomacy».
Chair of the commission, head of MKS and Megapir Alexander Kanshin reported about the main lines of work of the commission and MKS, about experience of Russian officers of the reserve, cooperation with the Armed Forces and other security agencies and interaction with enterprises of the military industrial complex. He remarked, «Our main task is supporting of the army and security agencies but we also should exercise civil control over them». Kanshin emphasized, «The today’s meeting has to contribute to strengthening of confidence among various countries». He also dwelled on the matter of interaction with veterans and officers of the reserve who «should be actively used in the work and should convey their experience to the young generation». Kanshin also said, «We plan to pay special attention to our veterans including participants of the Great Patriotic War of which only 410,000 have remained».
According to him, international cooperation and exchange of expe-rience in the field of security and civil control over security agencies serve for stabilization of the situation in the world. Kanshin stated, «Terrorism is one of the serious problems not only for Russia but also for the whole world. Experience and knowledge of veterans and officers of the reserve can lay a certain role in combating of this threat and may also help provi-sion of nuclear security and nonpro-liferation of weapons of mass de-struction».
Executive secretary of the inter-national consultation union of organ-izations of officers of the reserve Anatoly Kumakhov informed the audience about the main lines of activity of the council and about prospects for further work. According to him, officers of the reserve are the most suitable for the role of messen-gers of peace and friendship among various countries. Kumakhov said that «The second meeting of MKS will take place in May of 2012 in Bratislava. About 25 organizations already manifest their interest in par-ticipation in it».
Duma member and member of the Board of Directors of Megapir Alexei Knyshov welcomed creation of MKS and restoration of the com-mission for national security in the public chamber. He also addressed the heads of the public chamber and representatives of the diplomatic missions with a proposal to support and to participate in the international memorial action «To remember about war means to think about peace» in 2012. Knyshov said, «We are going to organize children’s honorable guards near eternal fires and military memorials in capital cities of the countries and in other cities». Participants of the meeting supported this initiative.
Member of the commission for problems of national security and social and economic conditions of life of servicemen, members of their families and veterans, pilot-cosmonaut, two times hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Leonov said that «Preserving of peace and quietness in the world depends on military diplomats to a big extent». According to him, such space programs as Inter-cosmos and Soyuz-Apollo made a very big contribution to development of friendship. Leonov also said that condition of veterans was very bad in Russia now. He stated, «It is point-less to compare the life of our veter-ans with the life of veterans abroad because in our country they do not live but they survive because, unfor-tunately, nobody thinks about them duly, neither the state, nor the rela-tives».
Josef Migas, ambassador of Slo-vakia, congratulated the audience with the Fatherland Defender Day. He emphasized that for him it was very pleasant when «Servicemen do not speak about war but build bridges of understanding and friendship, especially in our unquiet time, as real peacekeepers». In the curse of the event Velikhov handed a gratitude of the public chamber over to veteran of the Great Patriotic War, general inspector of the Defense Ministry, Marshal of Artillery Vladimir Mikhalkin who receive marshal rank 23 years ago for outstanding contribution to strengthening of the defense might of Russia, patriotic upbringing of citizens and preparation of the youth for military service.
Summing up the results, all par-ticipants of the event have unanim-ously agreed that such meetings are very important not only for their par-ticipants and also serve for construc-tive dialog among various countries. Foreign guests remarked, «It is espe-cially symbolic that it is the public chamber of Russia that has become the site for our present meeting».
