OREANDA-NEWS. May 22, 2012. Vladimir Putin signed the executive order appointing Vladimir Kolokoltsev Interior Minister yesterday. Vladimir Kolokoltsev has replaced Rashid Nurgaliyev as Interior Minister.

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon,

Colleagues, I would like to present Mr Kolokoltsev, the new Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. You know him well, at least many of you know him very well, so he does not need any additional recommendations.

Mr Kolokoltsev began his career in the internal affairs agencies 30 years ago and during that time he has worked in virtually all management posts, including as head of Moscow’s Main Directorate of Internal Affairs.

Vladimir Kolokoltsev has shown himself to be a top level professional, as well as a decent and honest man. I will note that this high assessment of his qualities is shared not only by his colleagues and subordinates, but also by the country’s top leadership and civil society representatives. I very much hope that in his new post Mr Kolokoltsev will continue to demonstrate his best qualities.

I would like to emphasise that the Interior Ministry is always in the public eye. People assess the state’s performance on the basis of your work. This applies to each and every employee of the Interior Ministry, including the Minister himself: it concerns all of you.

In recent years the state has taken several steps to enhance the prestige of service in the Interior Ministry. As you know, salaries have been raised twofold, and in some cases threefold. We pay more attention to social issues, especially the housing problem.

I will not go over all the measures being implemented. Despite the budget constraints we will do our utmost to fulfil our commitments in terms of these parameters: the allocated resources for this year and subsequent years (the Government is currently working on the budget) will take into account the Ministry’s needs.

I rely on the Ministry’s personnel and the new leadership to perform your duties diligently and effectively for the benefit of the entire Russian society, and wish the new Minister the best of luck.

Mr Nurgaliyev has been transferred to another post: he has been appointed Deputy Secretary of the Security Council in charge of one of the most important areas for our country, where he will be able to fully apply his knowledge, skills and practical experience.

Rashid Nurgaliyev has done a great deal for the establishment and strengthening of the Interior Ministry. I want to thank him for this work. Mr Nurgaliyev and I have been working together for a long time, holding different posts at different times, and we have always maintained a very good personal relationship, and I have always known that I could rely on him. He is a dependable and very responsible man.

(Addressing Rashid Nurgaliyev) Thank you very much for the previous years of working together. I hope that we will continue to work actively together for the benefit of Russia.

Once again I congratulate Mr Kolokoltsev and wish him success.