Transcript of the initial meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Let's assess the entire situation in the republic.

Sergei Shoigu: The earthquake has damaged the cities of Gudermes, Shali, Urus-Martan, Shatoi, Nozhai-Yurt and Shelkovskaya. We estimate that virtually all of the 4,370 damaged buildings can be repaired.

I have already mentioned apartment houses in the Grozny District. Additionally, three schools and five hospitals were damaged there. In all, 67 residential structures, two hospitals and two schools were damaged in the Shali District. As you can see, a laboratory is now assessing the stability of buildings and other structures, primarily hospitals and schools. An adequate number of construction workers have already started repairing buildings with light damage.

And now a few words about funding and additional resources. Loan documents are currently being drawn up according to your decision. A large damage-assessment group is working in the housing and social sectors. I hope that we will finish our work in two weeks, just as you directed.

Vladimir Putin: What resources do you request?

Odes Baisultanov: The preliminary damage estimate is 3 billion roubles. We have already coordinated a 500 million rouble loan with the Emergencies Ministry. The quake damaged over 4,000 buildings according to preliminary data.

A joint damage-assessment study with the Emergencies Ministry estimates that 10,000 buildings were damaged to varying extent. However, we need more time to evaluate how many houses were damaged beyond repair, and how many can be repaired.

We are preparing the relevant documents and defect lists. We first completed an initial inspection of all buildings and facilities. Now, experts, including those from the laboratory who began their analysis today, are conducting technical inspections. Our estimate and that of the Emergencies Ministry differ slightly ...

Ramzan Kadyrov: These are details. I have ordered the authorities to coordinate all aspects of inspection and to examine each case individually in order to assess the quality of the buildings.

This inspection process concerns all buildings, schools, hospitals and the entire residential sector. About 3,000 people in the Kurchaloi District are living outside, in tents and with neighbours. The problem is that they are afraid to return to cracked buildings because 113 people were killed and 117 more injured, after they decided to stay inside. The Emergencies Ministry and the Government are doing their best to settle this issue as quickly as possible.

Vladimir Putin: How long will it take to assess the scale of the disaster?

Ramzan Kadyrov: Mr Shoigu, his representatives and I have discussed this issue. It will take us about 10 days to do this.

Odes Baisultanov: We are working with the Construction Ministry's directorate and all technical groups from the Chechen Republic.

Sergei Shoigu: We need 10 to 14 days to complete a technical inventory.

Vladimir Putin: Large-scale reconstruction projects depend on how soon you finish this work.

Ramzan Kadyrov: We have already begun repairing about 100 houses in the Gudermes District. Repairs are also being made in the Kurchaloi District. Instead of waiting, we continue to build. We have contracted for loans and non-core funding but will repay these in the future. The people can see that we are fulfilling your order.

Vladimir Putin: All non-core funding should be duly formalised.

Odes Baisultanov: This violates budgetary legislation but does not amount to non-core funding.

Vladimir Putin: Although we have to react promptly to current developments, we must duly formalise every step.

Sergei Shoigu: And now a second issue, Mr Putin. You have focused on clean-up operations. What we need is quake-resistant buildings.

Vladimir Putin: This is just what I wanted to say. We must restore facilities whenever possible. We must do this from the very outset, assessing the scale of the disaster, but at the same time, anticipating future earthquakes. Naturally, new construction projects cannot be launched, unless local buildings are reinforced.

Ramzan Kadyrov: Mr Putin, we cannot accomplish this objective without your support. We will begin to rebuild district hospitals. If assistance is given to us, we would like to build new hospitals in the Shali, Kurchaloi and Gudermes Districts.

Vladimir Putin: Prepare the required documents, please. Naturally, we are going to help.

Ramzan Kadyrov: Thank you very much.