"The federal and regional authorities are working jointly to prevent and control wildfires," First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov said at the beginning of a conference call. "And they must not slacken their efforts because we have entered fire season."

He said that the regions must finish providing fire-fighting equipment to wildfire fighting teams, including specialised vehicles and equipment.

"The mechanisms approved by the federal authorities should be used in full measure," he said. "The federal government has approved the allocation of 5 billion roubles for purchasing nearly 2,000 fire-fighting vehicles and equipment. The funding of forestries has been doubled. The money has been transferred to the regions. The interregional plan for manoeuvring fire-fighting forces and equipment is being implemented and has proved effective in a complicated wildfire situation in Sakha (Yakutia), the Trans-Baikal Territory, the Irkutsk Region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory."

"Establishing and punishing people guilty of starting wildfires are an important task in the regions," Zubkov went on to say. "I am asking law enforcement agencies to redouble their efforts towards this end."

"Since the number of people spending their leisure time in forests has increased, I'd like to remind the regional authorities of the importance of the municipalities' efforts," he said. "The municipal governments must develop close cooperation with the regional authorities, actively involve voluntary fire-fighters and more actively explain the problem to the people, and above all popularise the code of behaviour in forests. I am asking the regional touchingauthorities to review these issues jointly with the municipal governments."

Zubkov told the regional heads of Sakha (Yakutia), the Trans-Baikal Territory and Buryatia that they must implement more thoroughly their new functions of preventing and fighting wildfires.

"The federal authorities had previously helped deal with complicated wildfire situations there, but this must not become a rule," Zubkov said. He cited the positive example of fire-fighting efforts in Tatarstan and the Vologda Region.

He also said that the authorities in the republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachai-Circassia must complete their consolidated fire-fighting plans and submit them to the Federal Forestry Agency without delay.

"This is the second time we are touching this issue," Zubkov said. "I think this is inadmissible."

The conference participants also discussed ways to enhance the efficiency of fire-fighting vehicles and equipment, co-financing fire-fighting efforts from the regional budgets, working jointly with the municipal governments and the people, announcing emergency situations without undue procrastination, and limiting public access to forests.

Taking part in the conference call were the heads of 81 regions, including the republics of Komi and Tatarstan, the Trans-Baikal Territory, and the Vologda and Irkutsk regions.