Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:  

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon.

Mintimer Shaimiyev: Good afternoon, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: I'm listening to you, Mr Shaimiyev. How are things going in the Republic? I saw that your growth was around 7.5 % in the first half of the year?

Shaimiyev: Yes, as a whole it is quite good. We work according to plan and have even achieved some advanced indicators for social and economic development this year. We have already handed over 1,300,000 square meters of housing and there are over two million left. It is quite good. Mechanical engineering is also going well.

Vladimir Putin: Is the extraction of oil, gas, and gas condensate growing?

Shaimiyev: Even though it wasn't our plan, growth is due to oil extraction in the last few years. This year good indicators have been achieved in the agro-industrial sector in our Republic, as well as in the country in general.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Shaimiyev, why are the numbers of livestock - cattle, pigs, sheep - falling?

Shaimiyev: In our region efficiency increases. We are now the largest manufacturer of milk in Russia - 8 % of realised dairy production.

Vladimir Putin: It is clear. And why does livestock fall?

Shaimiyev: That happens because we build larger units, and change the quality of livestock. We now get more yield from one cow than before. It is direct productivity, as a matter of fact.

Vladimir Putin: Were these actions deliberate? It didn't occur by itself, did it?

Shaimiyev: No, it didn't. We purposefully buy a lot of cattle and we are strenuously engaged in it. Now there are large modern units - dairy and poultry farming, both for eggs and broiler chicken, and pig-breeding. We are increasing production.

How was it done before? In those days, when I worked, spare cows were slaughtered. We did have such times. It doesn't happen nowadays, now we have cattle of high quality.

As a whole, petro-chemistry is developing pretty well. We made a priority of petrochemistry - that was right.

Today we have started the second part of harvesting - we have threshed 3 million tons of grain. If we collect it properly, it will probably be about 6 million tons. It might well be the highest productivity in the history of the Republic.

Today we collect 36 centners per hectare - it has never been even close to that. Productivity has definitely grown in recent years.

In general the agrarian economy in the Republic isn't bad. Production delivery from foreign countries is not regulated accurately and this becomes important for the Republic.

Vladimir Putin: Is too much imported?

Shaimiyev: Quite a lot. We could have made more at home. Why do I say this? Because we are involved in it and it is more visible for us.

Now, in the days of the Olympic Games, when a special mood is observed, I would like to thank for your consistent support for our aspiration to host the World Student Games. Thank you for what you did while you were still President. Now Mr Medvedev has already taken on the commission. All of it has played a crucial role.

You know that we have already won the second round quite easily. Now we must not lose time. Moreover, you were at the Olympic Games in Beijing. We also sent our athletes and the City Mayor. Now our Minister of Sports is there. What we have seen makes us keen to hold the forthcoming World Student Games on a more substantial scale.

During all these years the quality of hosting competitions has changed very much. Moreover, the summer World Student Games of 2011 will also take place in China - the city of Shenchzhen has won. It is a big new city. It is only 30 years old but serious construction is going on there. We have visited the city and have studied how it is preparing for the World Student Games in 2011. Now the Olympic Games were shown. Twice as many athletes and countries are taking part in the Summer Olympic Games.

Now we have studied their experience, have studied the experience of cities which have run the World Student Games before. Certainly, the most interesting is the Chinese experience because they are closer.

And then, as you have said, the Summer World Student Games in Kazan will be a prelude to the Sochi Olympic Games the following year.

How is it going? You know that we have been engaged in sports for a long time, and some of our facilities already correspond to the world level. We have carried out our obligations under the intermediate contract - there are such rules. We had to pay 20 million euros - it is necessary. We have paid it and everything is alright.

On the 1st and 3rd of October, the President of the International Federation of University Sports (FISU) will visit to sign the main contract. The head of the Organising Committee, the head of the Association of Students' Sports Unions of Russia, the Mayor of Kazan and the Prime Minister of Republic will sign the main contract on behalf of the state.

It goes without saying that we are now preparing for it. Organisational questions now depend on the Government of the Russian Federation. There is not much time left before signing the main contract.