The transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Kiriyenko, my first question concerns the wildfires, a very pressing issue now. I know that together with the Emergencies Ministry you have managed to stop the threat to your facilities. How do you assess the current situation?
Sergei Kiriyenko: Mr Putin, since our facilities are classified, historically they have been established in forests for concealment purposes. Now with the weather being what it is, our facilities are subject to possible fire.
The most difficult situation was in Sarov. Here is a map of Sarov (showing the map). Because it is surrounded by woods, fires attacked us three times. At first, it came from the west. Then it crept up from the south. The last blaze encroached from a nature preserve to the east.
A force of more than 3,000 men and 300 pieces of equipment was gathered. The Emergencies Ministry helped a lot by giving absolute priority to Sarov.
Mr Putin, in the hope that you will support me, I would like to recommend awards for the staff of the Emergencies Ministry, Interior Troops and Federal Penitentiary Service. All of them worked there, as well as 1,000 personnel from the Nuclear Physics Institute. They performed real feats of distinction because fires were blazing along an uninterrupted line 10 kilometres long. Even so, we beat them all off.
Under these circumstances, we stop the work at key sites and remove any nuclear and radiation materials or explosives. That is to say, we ensured that even if the flames break through the defensive perimeter, there would be no nuclear, radiation or environmental risk. Now our production is returning to normal.
Vladimir Putin: In other words, you prepared the facility in time?
Sergei Kiriyenko: We had to respond promptly because it was a new experience for us, and the perimeter was not prepared for such an eventuality.
What have we learned? We continue to resume our work schedule and we have posted lookouts. There is only one risk left. We have solved the problem under normal weather conditions. But if the wind were to blow and gust, as it did early in the week in the Northwest, it might fan any remaining embers or pockets of fire. Therefore, we will keep our monitoring and fire fighting tools at the ready.
Second, together with the Emergencies Ministry we have reached other important conclusions. How would we prepare for next year assuming the same weather? First, we are widening the fire-breaks in the forests. In this regard we will need updated laws because fire-breaks made along the buffer strip are no protection against crown fires. We are therefore providing an extra margin by adding 100 metres on either side. Second, new techniques developed by the Emergencies Ministry have proven effective. We agreed with Mr Shoigu that special robots and monitoring devices will keep a close eye on our key facilities. Thermal imagers on helicopters have also been helpful. Now we can completely monitor the relevant areas. At some key facilities, we will install a new system called Lidar. It will spot any hotbed of fire or change within 15 kilometres.
Our main production sites are back in operation. Our objective now is to make up for the delay in fulfilling the state defence order.
At all of our other facilities, everything is under control. A fire was close to Snezhinsk, a federal nuclear centre in the Ural District. But we, learning from the Sarov experience, fought it at greater distances. In Snezhinsk, we began putting out flames together with the Emergencies Ministry at 15 kilometres from an off-limits town. The same technique is now applied at nuclear power stations. We realised that when a fire is too close, it requires a much greater effort to control it.
Regarding business aside from the wildfires: the extreme weather has put a heavy emphasis on the environmental aspect of our work. This year, we have already generated 6% more electricity than last year for the same period. And, despite abnormal temperatures, our emissions have not increased. Today, they are not only 10% of the permissible level, but 50% to 100% less than last year.
Vladimir Putin: What about the plans for new generating units?
Sergei Kiriyenko: Mr Putin, we are right on schedule. At Rostov, the generating unit started up in March and it is now up to full capacity. It is on schedule and hit 1,000 MW this week. All generating unit projects in Russia keep a tight schedule. In addition, we have many projects in other countries. In Turkey, we have organised an engineering company as agreed. In August, we were asked to and did agree on the company's parameters. Now we are proceeding to register it to begin work in Turkey.
We are also doing well in Bulgaria, where you have reached an understanding with its prime minister. There is a joint working group established there, which is expected to clear up all the issues related to the investment of the Belene nuclear power station. In line with the offer you approved, we have provided the Bulgarian side with everything necessary for a final decision.
In September, we are planning to wrap up an intergovernmental agreement on Vietnam so that in October, as the president travels there, it would be possible to sign an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the first nuclear power station in Vietnam.
Next week, a visit is scheduled for Bangladesh. We have agreed with its prime minister that we will explain the financing arrangements to him. A large and representative delegation from Bangladesh is arriving this week. We will provide a guided tour of our nuclear power stations so that they can see everything.
And this week, Mr Putin, we are having a landmark event - completion in August of the main phase at the nuclear station in Bushehr, Iran.
I report to you that we and our Iranian partners have maintained our schedule. This Saturday, August 21, we are beginning the physical launch of the station. It will be done under the eyes of IAEA inspectors. Currently, they are unsealing the containers with the fuel we delivered more than a year ago in agreement with all of our partners in the world. The fuel is being unpacked and brought to the reactor room. This marks the beginning of the station's production launch: the station is going from a facility under construction into an operating unit. What is important, Mr Putin, is that we have shown that Russia always fulfils its obligations. Russia's position is that any country in the world has the right to use nuclear power peacefully under IAEA supervision while observing international rules and regulations. It is also important that it is a large international project. Of course, most of the work has been done by Russia, but deliveries have come from more than 10 other countries, including many in the European Union and the Asia-Pacific Region. It is therefore a kind of international project, large and global, that demonstrates that if Iran can develop peaceful nuclear energy under IAEA supervision and it complies with the standards of international legislation, this possibility can become reality both for Iran and for any other country. Russia always fulfils the obligations it undertakes.
Vladimir Putin: Well, I congratulate you.
Sergei Kiriyenko: Thank you, Mr Putin.