Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Let us begin with energy projects and their impact on the environment in the country's North, Far East and other sensitive regions. Please pay attention in this context to oil and gas extraction in the North, where large corporations threaten to rob the indigenous population of hunting, fishing and other traditional activities.

Yury Trutnev: We are monitoring all large infrastructural projects. We remember your decision to change the route of the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline.

Vladimir Putin: This is a separate topic. I, too, want you to elaborate on this project and the north-western one-both extending our pipeline network.

Yury Trutnev: All the work fully complies with Russian legislation. We will begin conducting a series of environmental evaluations followed by monitoring the operations according to the legal procedure. We do not see any great hazards implied any longer.

Vladimir Putin: What about Sakhalin? Was the project amended after your Ministry intermediated?

Yury Trutnev: We consider that the companies have taken all our reprimands into account and thoroughly changed their attitudes to the environment. Now, in terms of environmental protection, this project is beyond reproach.

Vladimir Putin: What about new pipeline systems in the northwest and leading to the Pacific?

Yury Trutnev: All those projects are conducting ecological examinations. They are based on the principles of environmental protection and the minimising of damage to fish resources and the seabed.

Vladimir Putin: So you have no objections?

Yury Trutnev: No major objections.

Vladimir Putin: Now, what about baby seal cub hunting? We have suspended it but specialists do not think the ban will work, judging by what I had seen and read.

Yury Trutnev: Mr Putin, you have ordered to extend the ban to older seal cubs. The Federal Fishery Agency has banned white coat (baby) seal hunting. The issue over older cubs will shortly follow. The agency signed the hunting ban yesterday for the protection of Greenland seal cubs up to twelve months of age. The order has been submitted to the Justice Minister for registration, so there are guarantees that no Greenland seal cubs under twelve months of age will be killed in Russia.

Vladimir Putin: This matter requires close monitoring because we are compensating hunters' shortfalls in revenue. The loss was initially estimated at a token 6 million roubles-but it rose to 48 million after I looked into the situation. I agree to compensate 48 million, too, but we must ensure compliance with the decisions.

Yury Trutnev: We will keep an eye on it, Mr Putin.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, please do. Please keep me informed on this matter. Now, with regard to major construction projects-the APEC summit in the Russian Far East and Olympic preparations in Sochi. How is work progressing for those events? Also, I have assigned you to draw proposals on the reparation of certain animal species that were wiped out in the previous decades. The idea to breed them in the region, with top priority for the North Caucasus, arose in connection with the Olympic preparations.

Yury Trutnev: A relevant programme has been drawn on your order for extinct and endangered species in the North Caucasus. Frankly speaking, sufficient animal populations are also under threat now with large-scale Olympic construction. So we have drawn programmes for aurochs, bears, mountain goats and many bird species. A bird reserve is being established. All work is progressing in correspondence with the schedule.

Vladimir Putin: Leopards were exterminated in the 1950s.

Yury Trutnev: Mr Putin, I remember your instructions. All the work necessary will be completed.

Vladimir Putin: Could you elaborate on "all the work" You had decided to buy several leopards abroad and provide them necessary conditions in the North Caucasus. What have you done lately?

Yury Trutnev: The animals will need proper treatment, so we are preparing open-air cages and a laboratory complex. We are waiting for the animals to be delivered to Russia, and ensuring to get everything ready to accommodate them.

Vladimir Putin: Do you have the necessary funds for this?

Yury Trutnev: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: Let us now go over the construction projects for the APEC summit and the Olympics.

Yury Trutnev: Mr Putin, we have made certain observations in relation to the projects. However, we must elaborate the means to guarantee Russia's compliance with environmental commitments and other duties taken on its bid. We see it as our main goal. Relevant proposals have been drawn and coordinated with Mr Kozak and Olympstroi Corporation. They have the status of joint initiatives now. They concern, above all, the elaboration of Olympic project building conditions, the use of available environmentally friendly technology, and compliance with environmental standards. The corporation will receive these proposals in the form of documents within ten days-after which, I hope, we will be able to monitor the situation.

Vladimir Putin: We have reached an agreement with environmentalists and have transferred a number of Olympic sites to different locations though it has cost us additional funds and resources. I would highly appreciate if your agency and relevant public organisations would permanently monitor the work on newly appointed and other sites.

Yury Trutnev: That's what we intend to do.

Vladimir Putin: Now, with regard to the APEC summit venue. Russky Island also has a unique landscape and wildlife even after military organisations were based there for several decades, when environmental protection was not on the agenda-especially in an area of restricted access.

Now, we have every chance for conducting perfectly civilised work there. What is your agency doing to monitor initiative work for the event?

Yury Trutnev: Mr Putin, the law envisages a series of state-led environmental examinations of the projects and their environmental monitoring. These measures are being taken. No alarm calls have come from our local offices but, if you so wish, I can fly there to receive firsthand information.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, it would be good to see the site and verify that the project blueprints have gone through final approval. Let us now discuss the Olympic construction project in greater detail.