Kremlin: Putin to spend busy week in Sochi looking into Armed Forces development

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will spend "a busy week" in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi looking into the development of the Armed Forces and the defense-industrial sector, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

This has already become a tradition, and it's the ffth time the president will have a chain of sessions on these issues. As a rule, the president gathers the leadership of the Defense Ministry, defense enterprises and other major officials twice a year - in May and in November.

Meetings are held daily, separately on all branches of the Armed Forces, after which the results are summed up at a general session. Peskov said this time meetings would focus on implementation of the state defense order and priorities of military construction.

Besides, Putin is scheduled for a host of meetings with the leadership of Russian regions and some international level meetings.

Earlier, the US Department of State said Secretary of State John Kerry will pay a visit to Russia and will visit Sochi on May 12, where he will be received by Russia's President Vladimir Putin, will have a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to Marie Harf, spokeswoman for the Department of State, the meeting with Putin was confirmed.

There has been no official confirmation from Russia, but earlier Peskov said that the meeting was not ruled out "if it is officially confirmed and if their schedules coincide."

According to the US administration, bilateral and regional issues could be on the agenda, including Iran, Syria and Ukraine.

On the final leg of his one-week stay in Sochi, Putin will take part in some sports and educational events. Putin is expected to attend a final of the Night Hockey League. "At the end of the week, the president will continue dealing with an educational center for children, that is being set up on the basis of Azimut Hotel in Sochi’s Imeriti Valley," Peskov said.

In February, Putin offered to set up a child center there to bring together talented children.

He said conditions should be created so that children could study there half-a-year. Putin sees this as a first stage in the search for gifted children, who would then remain in the focus of attention up until their job placement.