Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Mr Director General, colleagues, we are happy to welcome you to Moscow.

Russia has longstanding friendly relations with the IAEA. We are cooperating in many areas, including personnel training; we appreciate your effort to discuss this issue with our professionals during your visit. We also continue our work on new technology and again, appreciate your support for our proposal to establish an international uranium enrichment centre in Russia. We are working together to address nuclear non-proliferation issues. We have certainly welcomed your decision to appoint a Russian representative, [Alexander] Bychkov, as your deputy responsible for nuclear power generation issues.

We are very pleased to meet with you here.

Yukiya Amano (as translated): First of all, I would like to thank you, Mr Prime Minister, for finding the time to meet with us; I know you have a very packed schedule. I also appreciate Russia's support for the IAEA and for me personally.

This year is especially favourable for strengthening relations between Russia and the IAEA, as we mark the tenth anniversary of INPRO, the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles. I have received your letter of greeting on this occasion. Also, we have just signed an agreement with Rosatom on staff training for young specialists who will work at the IAEA.

Mr [Yury] Sokolov was a very effective deputy director general; I am confident that Mr Bychkov, who will replace him, will be as valuable to us.

My current visit to Russia is very short. I am here for only three days, and I am especially pleased with this opportunity to meet with you, Mr Prime Minister. I have already taken part in talks with Mr Kiriyenko (Sergei Kiriyenko, general director of Rosatom state corporation) and visited the Federal Medical-Biological Centre.

Tomorrow I will meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. I also had an opportunity to make a speech at the International Energy Week forum in Moscow and will give a lecture at Moscow's Engineering Physics Institute. I have a short but tight schedule.

I am ready to discuss with you any issues of shared interest, such as nuclear non-proliferation (including the situations in Iran and Syria), nuclear safety, radiotherapy and other cancer treatment research projects, as well as any other issue within IAEA's competence that might be of interest to you.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Director General, you have listed several major areas of the IAEA's activity and its cooperation with Russia.

The world is seeing a surge in interest for nuclear power. Experts estimate that about 30 countries will have their own nuclear power plants by 2030.

In this connection I would like to emphasise one of the most important areas for our cooperation - nuclear safety and security.

We highly appreciate your experts' effort to assess the safety of civilian nuclear facilities. As you know, Russia provides international experts with free access to our facilities and our complete support. I am pleased to be able to say that the IAEA experts have appreciated the high level of safety and security at Russian nuclear facilities.

Russia is willing to cooperate with the IAEA and contribute to ensuring nuclear safety and security.