Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Mr Atambayev. I am very glad to see you and to have another opportunity to see how Russian-Kyrgyz relations are developing. The last time you were in Moscow you came with a representative delegation. During that visit we outlined a way to proceed in the critical areas of our partnership – the energy industry, agriculture, technical cooperation and military alliance. It is good that we have an opportunity today to see what progress we are making in these fields. Welcome!

Almazbek Atambayev: Mr Putin, I am very glad to see you again. Thank you for the continuous support that my country has received from you personally and from Russia. Thanks in large part to this support and the new relations between our countries, our economy has started to improve. Our gross domestic product grew by 5.5% in the first half of the year. I think that what we were lacking before was normal, friendly relations between our countries. I expect that our relations will continue to improve, to the mutual benefit of our nations. I am very glad to see you again.

We have many problems, but we are resolving them gradually, and we feel constantly supported. Our latest barley yield was 1,500 tonnes. We are receiving aid in the amount of about $5 million for the restoration of South Kyrgyzstan, for which we are very grateful to Mr Shoigu. It is much easier to work when we feel this ongoing support.

Vladimir Putin: We are also helping with oil and petrochemical products.

Almazbek Atambayev: You made us a generous gift at the beginning of the year by abolishing export duties. I think we owe our economic growth and the increase of the GDP to this. Moreover, it has helped us to curb inflation. In June, for instance, we even saw deflation in Kyrgyzstan, as import costs plummeted with the abolition of export duties and a multiplicative trend set in. It has had a huge impact on the Kyrgyz economy. Thank you very much.

Vladimir Putin: I am very glad.

Almazbek Atambayev: It turned out to be a very generous New Year’s gift, as you remember. So the year had a good start, and we are hoping to see an even greater increase before the year ends.

Vladimir Putin: I don’t consider it a gift, but rather an element of support to create conditions for our closer cooperation in key sectors.