Russia to support genetic engineering studies, Putin says

VLADIVOSTOK, September 1. /TASS/. Creating artificial barriers to the development of genetic engineering is pointless, so Russia will support research in this sphere, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a back-to-school gathering on Wednesday to mark the occasion of the Day of Knowledge during his visit to Russia’s Far East. "With the help of genetic engineering, it is possible, actually, to shape the quality of future biological objects. This is a very demanding task. The outcome, if humankind goes down this path, is hard to predict, so we have to bear this in mind. There are scientific and moral considerations. [This is] a very important issue," the head of state emphasized. "However, it is fully obvious that its development will continue one way or another. And it makes no sense to put up artificial barriers," he asserted. The president cited as examples the invention of gunpowder and nuclear energy that ended up belonging to all of humanity. "Mankind should formulate shared criteria for work in this direction, make a decision and ensure that these decisions are well-considered, scientifically valid and will be implemented," Putin said. "Nowadays, there is probably nothing more interesting than this. So, we will support this research without any doubt," he concluded. Putin’s meeting with schoolchildren was held within the framework of the New Knowledge educational marathon. Read more