Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Mr Zakharyashchev, the summer season is fast approaching; in fact it must have already started in some regions.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Usually we start on May 1.

Vladimir Putin: But it's already quite warm in the south.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: The summer season has already begun in the Krasnodar Territory.

Vladimir Putin: We've been paying special attention to this issue.

Also, many have criticised the so-called summer home amnesty. However, as far as I can see from the reports, almost everyone who submitted an application was able to register their summer homes last year.

In 2007, a total of 700,000 summer homes were registered in summer communities, and last year this number exceeded 2.5 million. Almost everyone who submitted an application was registered. This is the first issue I'd like to discuss with you. I'd like to hear your opinion on the effectiveness of this law.

Secondly, as you know, a draft law has been submitted to the State Duma to give people the right to register their permanent residences at summer homes. I hope this law will be passed; the government supports it.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Yes, that's a good law.

Vladimir Putin: ...But the government stipulated that such summer homes must comply with certain standards, primarily sanitation standards. Let's discuss these two issues in more detail. And if you have anything else to add, please go ahead...

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Mr Prime Minister, on behalf of tens of millions of amateur Russian gardeners...

Vladimir Putin: How many gardeners are there?

Vassily Zakharyashchev: There are 21 million gardening families in Russia, which makes some 60 million people in total. I often talk with Duma members, and they all have summer homes with gardens. There are people in this country who know how to plant.

Vladimir Putin: In what sense?

Vassily Zakharyashchev: I mean they plant trees and vegetables.

Vladimir Putin: I see.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Life has become easier for gardeners in recent years, and I'd like to thank you for this. I believe the government's social policy has been very important. My colleagues in the United Russia Party are strong proponents of all your policies and everything you do for gardeners.

We can feel the effect of the government's well thought-out and practical policies. I remember that a couple of years ago you made a very good point: gardening is a perfect hobby for ageing people. We don't like this word, ageing: we're still full of energy. But it's a very good policy, because it allows people to move into a summer home and live in the country after they retire. And we have all the opportunities for this in Russia.

That's why I'd like the government, the State Duma and the political parties to work together closely, especially since every political party, including opposition parties, support gardening. We're all on the same page here.

United Russia holds a parliamentary majority - I'm proud to say this - and it has done a lot to improve social policy in this country. I submitted a proposal on behalf of our Union to develop a programme called House of Gardener - House of Russia.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Zakharyashchev, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'd like to discuss the issues I mentioned first of all. The first one is the effectiveness of the law. I remember that during our discussions, including at news conferences, you said that the law was not yet working well. Did the situation improve last year? We made a lot of changes to the law, the latest of which were introduced on March 1 and revoked cadastre requirements, among other things. Is the law effective at present?

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Judging by the numbers, it works well. I'm saying this honestly, because I talk with gardeners every day. The pace is good. But what can we expect in the future? I personally call this law a Trojan horse.

When a gardener registers his or her right...

Unfortunately, this law has several shortfalls. In 80% of cases the land that a gardener registers has no defined boundaries.

To sell this land, one needs a land-surveying map, and the ordeal starts all over again...

This problem is causing delays. We invited the Deputy Minister of Economic Development to the office of our party in the Duma to discuss this issue. We are drafting changes to eliminate these difficulties for people. The changes will be submitted to the government soon.

Vladimir Putin: Given that the troubles start when a person attempts to sell his or her land, if we make it so that the documents you mentioned must be submitted at the registration stage, it will only lead to more difficulties at this stage. You should discuss this issue with our ministries.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Honestly, we're just not ready yet. We've been discussing this issue in the Duma and with our union.

Nevertheless, it's good that people can see that the registration procedure has been made easier, which was the desired effect. A summer home community is now recognised as a developed area, a future municipality.

Consequently, the taxation system has to be changed. We'd like summer home communities to have the same status as municipalities, and we'd also like to incorporate them into municipalities in the future. We recently held a seminar with Mr Timchenko from the Duma Local Government Committee in Krasnodar. It was just last Thursday. I spoke there to voice my proposals. Municipalities agreed that this initiative has a great promise.

As you know, gardeners pay a land tax to a municipality, but the municipality has no right to use this tax for developing its infrastructure. The Prosecutor's Office believes that this practice as an inappropriate use of funds, since summer home communities haven't been recognised as self-governing communities.

Vladimir Putin: This issue can be fixed, of course.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: Thank you for your support. I'll submit this amendment for discussion if you don't mind. I think everything will be fine.

Vladimir Putin: I agree, and I think it's quite possible.

The second issue regards the draft law on the registration of permanent residences, which has been introduced to the State Duma.

Vassily Zakharyashchev: This has evoked quite a response, because many people hoped to take advantage of this law. But as you know, the Constitutional Court decreed that people can only register in summer home communities in developed areas, and that the summer homes they register must comply with sanitation standards. Otherwise, they could become a breeding ground for poverty: immigrants could settle there, and we'd face even more problems.

This idea is very good in principle. In some cities, for example, in Rostov, there are 112 summer homes in the city centre!

Vladimir Putin: I recently visited Venezuela and saw what kind of conditions people live in there. We must not allow anything of this kind. You've just mentioned that some summer homes simply are not fit for people. We cannot register people discriminately - it's obvious. Please keep it in mind when working out the law.

Vassily  Zakharyashchev: Absolutely!