Russian arms procurement program was adopted and must be implemented - Putin
MOSCOW. June 13 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that if the Defense Ministry is not prepared to implement the weapons procurement program, it should propose rescheduling the completion of this program until a later date.
"The Finance Ministry suggested postponing the allocation of the expenses linked with the state weapons procurement program until a later date if it was possible. We adopted this program. It must be put into practice. It must be done efficiently," Putin said in his budget address, the text of which was published on Thursday.
Russian defense industry enterprises should be able to "accept" the money allocated as part of the program and should have the production capacities and technologies needed to fulfill their contracts, he said.
"And if you spot the absence of this readiness anywhere, the Defense Ministry ought to come up with an initiative regarding a more rational timeframe for the allocation of these funds," the president said.
