Transcript of the meeting: 

Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, colleagues, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Moscow.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the beginning of the Czech Republic's presidency of the European Union. Pity that at the very start of your mission you have to deal with a serious energy crisis in Europe, which resulted from a gas blockade of Europe, staged by the Ukrainian government.

We feared that bureaucratic difficulties would not allow European agencies to promptly interfere with this issue. However, your prompt reaction to the current developments, and your visits to Kiev and Moscow suggest that we will be able to reach the necessary agreement.

Despite the fact that European agencies and you personally are undertaking necessary efforts to resolve the crisis, it is aggravating. I have just learnt that yesterday Kiev's Economic court passed a verdict putting a ban on Russian gas transit through Ukraine. Nevertheless, we are going to try our best to settle this situation during today's meeting with you.

I hope that you managed to convince our Ukrainian partners of the necessity of signing these documents, which could become the basis for creating a monitoring tool for our gas transit through Ukraine, and which we could use to determine this monitoring agency's operating principles and composition.

We have lately discussed this in detail with the German Chancellor, the Italian Prime Minister, with you, Mr Prime Minister, and the European Commission President.

We are glad to see you, Mr Prime Minister. Welcome!

Mirek Topolánek (as translated): Mr Prime Minister, I am grateful to you for giving me an opportunity to promptly solve this problem, now that the Czech Republic holds the presidency of the European Union.

The fact that at the beginning of our activity in the European Union we are addressing two issues starting with the letter G - Gaza and gas - shows that we are going to enjoy it.

Vladimir Putin: Sorry for interrupting you. This morning I watched the news reporting how people are suffering in some European countries. Certainly, there is nothing enjoyable for them now, and we understand this perfectly well.

I am glad that you managed to come to Moscow and Kiev so soon.

Mirek Topolánek: Today I informed the Ukrainian government that I will not leave this region until gas supplies resume.

Today I spoke with Robert Fico (the Prime Minister of Slovakia). Indeed, the situation has gone so far that no one cares who is guilty any longer. It is now a matter of saving the confidence of a crucial gas supplier and in a crucial transit country. And we would not like to interfere in this.

I would like to remind you what was said so that we are clear on where we stand. We reached an oral agreement. We managed to overcome the contradictions and disagreement between Ukraine's President and Prime Minister. As for your government, it always has a unanimous position ...

Vladimir Putin: It is unbelievable that you have done this!

Mirek Topolánek: It reminds me of a Czech proverb: President Yushchenko drives a cart, where I sit with Prime Minister Tymoshenko.

Vladimir Putin: I wish he would take gas to Europe in his cart.

Mirek Topolánek: We have an oral arrangement for deploying Russian experts to Ukraine. Monitoring Commission experts will be deployed to input and output gas stations - both in Russia and Ukraine.

After long negotiations we came to an agreement that Gazprom representatives will carry out their mission in Ukraine, and Naftogaz representatives - in Russia. I have brought you an offer to begin deploying these monitoring groups.

Vladimir Putin: Have our Ukrainian partners signed it?

Mirek Topolánek: I will return to this question later. Our representatives have already arrived in Moscow and Kiev. So far we have four agreements; and I have brought you the fifth one. I would like to ask you to continue this meeting without the press.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, I consider this issue to be of interest to the public and that journalists would attend all our negotiations. But I agree with you. If it is more convenient, if there are confidential matters, we can finish.

Thank you very much. See you at the press conference.