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Putin submits bill on National Guard troops to State Duma

The National Guard troops will combat terrorism, protect public order and guard important state facilities

MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma lower house of parliament the draft framework law "On the Russian National Guard Troops" and corresponding amendments to the legislation. The related information was put in the Duma’s electronic database on Wednesday.

The Russian president announced the National Guard establishment on Tuesday at a meeting with Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Federal Drug Control Service Head Viktor Ivanov, Interior Ministry Troops Commander Viktor Zolotov and Federal Migration Service First Deputy Head Yekaterina Yegorova.

"The decision has been made, we are establishing a federal body of executive power on the basis of the Interior Ministry Troops," Putin said. "We are establishing the National Guard, which will be involved in fighting terrorism, organized crime, which will, in close contact with the Interior Ministry, keep performing the functions that units of OMON [special-purpose police detachment], SOBR [Special Rapid Deployment Force] etc. performed," he said. "We will mention that, as we discussed that with the interior minister, not only in the decree, but also in the future federal law in order to prevent any lack of coordination, for everything to work in a clear and coordinated way," Putin said. "I hope very much that the National Guard troops will also effectively perform their tasks, as has been the case until now, and will enhance their work in priority spheres," he said. Putin recalled that the issue of improving the work of law enforcement bodies was discussed before. "We thought over how to improve work in all spheres, including work connected with the fight against terrorism, organized crime, illegal drugs turnover," he said.

The president’s decree on the establishment of a new federal service was published later on Tuesday. According to the decree, the National Guard troops are tasked with "participation, together with Russia’s internal affairs bodies, in enforcement of public order, maintenance of public security and emergency rule, participation in the fight against international terrorism and ensuring the legal regime of counter-terrorism operation, participation in the fight against extremism."

Besides, the National Guard will be involved "in the territorial defense of the Russian Federation, protection of important state facilities and special cargo in accordance with the list approved by the government of the Russian Federation, render assistance to the border authorities of the Federal Security Service in protecting the state border of the Russian Federation."

The National Guard will also be tasked with "the implementation of the federal state control [supervision] of observance of the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of arms trafficking and in the field of private security and extra-departmental security services."

According to the document, the National Guard troops will be included in the system of the newly created Federal Service for the National Guard Troops. This service will perform the functions "to formulate and implement the state policy and work out the legal and regulatory framework for the National Guard troops; activity," as well as in the sphere of turnover of arms, private security activity and extra-departmental security services.

The federal service director will also be the commander-in-chief of the National Guard troops. He will have six deputies, including the first deputy and chief of the General Staff of the National Guard troops.