Medvedev: Serdyukov was efficient defense minister but inquiry must be full

Anatoly Serdyukov was an efficient defense minister, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told reporters on Tuesday. He lauded the performance of Serdyukov in the peace enforcement operation against Georgia but said the inquiry into the ministry's entities must be brought to the end.

"Serdyukov was an efficient defense minister, which was proven by the transformations he had made in the Armed Forces," the premier said.

"Not all the decisions came easy and some mistakes were made, but there was no other way to hold profound reforms," Medvedev said.

Serdyukov displayed his professionalism during the peace enforcement operation against Georgia in August 2008, the premier said. "That was a perfectly successful operation from the military point of view," and correct conclusions about the need for further modernization of the Armed Forces were drawn from it, he noted.

"As for the inquiry, it must be brought to the end and the court must make a ruling," the premier said.

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