国际英语新闻：Russian president unsatisfied with pace of defense modernization

MOSCOW, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday he was not satisfied with the pace of the development and modernization of Russian defense sector.

    "Over the past few years, a lot of money has been invested in the modernization and development of the defense sector. However, the results are not high, I would say," said the President at a conference on the defense industries.

    "We continue the hole-mending policy. The outrun technological re-equipment goals have not been reached," the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.

    As the structural reforms of Russian Armed Forces are to end in two months, said Medvedev, the defense sector have to work hard to catch up.

    "The structural reform of the Russian armed forces will end in two months. Then we will have a more complicated mission -- modernization of the armed forces. The defense sector will have to do a lot," he said.

    "A foundation of the armed forces modernization must be laid down by 2012," he added.

    Shortly after a brief war with Georgia, Russia unveiled military reform plans in September 2008 aimed at modernizing and improving the efficiency of Russian troops as well as their standard of living.