MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. The Russian authorities must not allow internal political security in the country to be upset, particularly so at a time when ill-wishers have stepped up their activity, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council on Friday.
He suggested discussing "ways of ensuring Russia's security, in this case, internal political security," taking into account the efforts being taken and stepped up by ill-wishers with the aim "to shake loose the situation inside Russia."
"We must do everything to prevent them from doing this under any circumstances," Putin pointed out.
The president recalled that the Council on Interethnic Relations recently "looked into issues of interethnic relations in the country."
"For Russia, these issues are extremely important. We have 190 ethnic groups in the country," Putin said. At the current meeting it is necessary to address "these same issues with regard to security," he said.
Reports were to be made by the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov and Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev. The meeting was traditionally held behind closed doors.
Taking part in the meeting were Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of the Federation Council; Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma; Anton Vaino, the head of the Presidential Staff; Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council; Alexander Bortnikov, the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB); Nikolay Patrushev, the Security Council’s Secretary; Sergey Shoigu, the Defense Minister; Vladimir Kolokoltsev, the Interior Minister; Sergey Naryshkin, the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR); and Sergey Ivanov, the Special Presidential Representative for the Environment, Ecology and Transport.