Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Mr Gromov, we have stayed in touch from the moment the situation began to deteriorate. The situation in the Moscow Region is strained each year due to the peat bog fires. As we heard in the conference call, these peat bogs continue burning, even in winter.

Boris Gromov: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: At first glance, this situation seems straightforward, but in fact it is both technically complicated and, most importantly, costly. Now let's talk about the burning peat bogs, since they pose real problems for Moscow, Russia's capital and a massive metropolis. Please, say a few words about the current wildfire situation. That will be the first set of questions, and the second will be about dealing with the people affected. How many people have been left homeless? How and where are these people being housed? How are their food supplies being organised? What about transport? How is compensation being paid, including the 10,000 roubles for every-day expenses and the 200,000 roubles, paid in two 100,000 rouble lump sums? How do you suggest organising the housing reconstruction work?

Boris Gromov: Mr Prime Minister, peat bog fires have always been an issue. It started to deteriorate when the peat bogs were abandoned by their owners in the mid 1990s. The situation deteriorated dramatically. When in 2002 we had a serious smoke problem resulting from the peat bog fires, we began devising an irrigation programme for them. We had the idea but it did not come to fruition at that time, primarily because the situation subsided somewhat. We returned to developing an irrigation programme for all peat bogs in 2008. We have five districts in this condition, with things being most difficult in the Shatura district.

Unfortunately, nobody needs peat since the largest heat and power stations, Shatura and Kashira, have been refitted to use gas. They used to burn peat. And now nobody needs peat. We have also looked into the possibility of restarting the production and utilisation of this peat.

In 2008 we had to temporarily suspend, but not give up on, this programme due to the financial downturn. But after reporting back to you we returned to its long-term development, and will soon forward it to Emergencies Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu and his ministry, the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources, so that together we can clarify all the legal issues before presenting the programme to the government for approval.

Vladimir Putin: Please, tell me, how are you currently working with the Emergencies Situations Ministry and the Ministry of Defence? Is the army helping? After all, there are specialised army units, including those related to water supply.

Boris Gromov: Yes, we have very good, constructive and close relations both with the Emergencies Situations Ministry and the Ministry of Defence. The latter is helping us. A water supply battalion has already been deployed in the Moscow Region where it facilitates the delivery of water from the Oka River to the most...

Vladimir Putin: ...dangerous sites...

Boris Gromov: ...where there are fires. Overall, fires are burning in 12 districts of the region, including Krasnogorsk in the north-west and other districts in the east and south-east.

The most difficult situation is now in the south-eastern Lukhovitsy and Kolomna districts bordering on the Ryazan Region. Incidentally, these districts have reported the most housing damage. In all other districts the situation is slightly better, but still difficult. The Shatura district also has also been hit hard, as always, as have the neighbouring Pavlovsky Posad and Orekhovo-Zuyevo districts. This area is suffering worst but there are also some fires in other districts.

There is no increase in the rate at which they are spreading but, unfortunately, neither is there any decrease. The situation is tense but stable; I'm referring here, principally, to forest fires. As of this morning, we have had a total of 86 fires, covering an area of 353 hectares in the last 24 hours. Most have already been extinguished, except for those which we have been fighting for a week and a half or two weeks already. I'm talking about the Yegoryevsk district and the south-eastern Lukhovitsy and Kabanovo districts. Most of the 247 people, who have lost their housing and property to the fires, 95% of them, live in that area. They all have received compensation, both the one-off payments of 10,000 roubles for each family member, or 15,000 roubles for individuals, and the 100,000 rouble payments from the regional budget. Most have also been given 100,000 roubles from the federal budget, since we received these funds yesterday. Moreover, we have paid 1 million roubles to seven families of people who died, we had in total 10 fatalities, and additional 300,000 roubles from the regional budget. We have also provided 300,000 roubles to those who were injured, that is, people who are in hospital, at out-patient clinics or who are referred for medical treatment.

Vladimir Putin: I announced another measure yesterday and would ask you to monitor it as well. The Pension Fund will pay an additional 25,000 roubles to unemployed pensioners.

Boris Gromov: Yes, thank you, I made an announcement about that today at our daily briefing to alert people to this extra measure. We have received the funds from the federal budget. Everything has been settled in terms of housing construction, for which I have signed off on a special schedule. It includes the name of the municipal entity, the exact address of each house and information about who lived in this house and its total area.

Vladimir Putin: How many houses have burnt down?

Boris Gromov: A total of 69 houses have burnt down in our region.

Vladimir Putin: Were these 69 houses all located in a single residential area, or two, three areas?

Boris Gromov: Fires damaged five residential areas, two of them are in the Lukhovitsy district, other two are in the Kolomna district and one area in the Mytishchi district was slightly damaged. I mean, unlike that in the Lukhovitsy district, it was not completely burnt to the ground.

Vladimir Putin: These are residential areas, aren't they?

Boris Gromov: Yes, they are residential areas.

Vladimir Putin: Are these small villages?

Boris Gromov: Small villages and villages.

One residential area, the village of Mokhovoye in the Lukhovitsy district, has been completely burnt to the ground, there is nothing left there. This settlement consisted solely of municipal apartment buildings.

There were ten apartment buildings with ten flats each. Those were old three-storey buildings.

Vladimir Putin: Have you passed this on to the government?

Boris Gromov: Yes, I have. All the necessary lists have been put together and I have signed off on them, as you said. We will also pass these lists on as well. So, this work has been organised.

Vladimir Putin: Returning to the first set of questions, about peat bogs, I ask you, in cooperation with corresponding government bodies, to conclude this process and present your joint proposals on how this work should be organised.

Boris Gromov: Yes, I understand.

Vladimir Putin: Today I also signed a resolution on developing the Forestry Code, giving the heads of Russian regions broader supervisory rights and administrative supervision powers. You will familiarise yourself with it. This is a new act regarding carrying out state fire inspections in the forests.

Boris Gromov: I see.

Vladimir Putin: This will allow governors to get everything that is happening in the forests under tighter administrative control.

Boris Gromov: I believe that this is also relevant to us. We are the only Russian region which, under the law, has no powers when it comes to forests. It wouldn't be bad were this provision to include us. However, we are on good terms with the Federal Agency for Forestry.