Transcript of the start of the meeting:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, Mr Lebedev.

The Prime Ministers of the CIS countries are due to meet this week. I would like to talk with you today about the basic fields of partnership in the Commonwealth, and discuss matters of our common concern-mainly social and economic partnership.

Sergei Lebedev: The CIS Council of Heads of Government will meet in Astana on May 22, with 18 items on the agenda. Preparations are progressing on schedule.

The Prime Ministers will discuss several crucial documents that, I hope, will be signed. The documents envisage a closer economic, cultural, and security partnership between Commonwealth countries-suffice it to name a plan for the implementation of the first stage of the economic development strategy, which is an essential document.

As you know, the strategy has been calculated through 2020, while its initial stage concerns 2009-2010. The plan envisages practical steps to step up CIS cooperation. CIS countries' experts have spent half a year drafting the plan, and have certainly taken the impact of the global economic crisis into consideration. The plan includes measures to reduce its dire aftermath as much as possible through team efforts.

Of no smaller importance is a plan for priority measures in cultural partnership for the next two years. It includes a vast number of measures proposed by all CIS countries envisaging closer youth cooperation in education and cultural exchanges-in particular, film and song festivals and athletic competition. I think the plan will help to preserve the CIS community. It will be introduced by Dzhakhan Pollyeva, Chairperson of the CIS Humanitarian Cooperation Council.

It is especially important to involve the youth in these events-all the more so because a Youth Year has been proclaimed in Russia this year, and Moldova had a similar Youth Year in 2008. CIS countries have sufficient experience in this field. A common celebration of the 65th anniversary of Victory Day in World War Two is also on the agenda. War veterans want the youth in all CIS countries to inherit their ideals.

Several items on the agenda will concern a closer education and security partnership-in particular, an agreement on crime information exchanges. This essential document will help us to obtain more extensive and detailed information, and step up the war on crime.

Eleven CIS countries will take part in the meeting. Regrettably, Georgia is abstaining. Over the past few days, I have met with Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky and Moldovan Prime Minister Zinaida Grecianii. I will meet with Kazakhstani Prime Minister Karim Masimov in Astana tomorrow.

CIS countries and, more importantly, their delegation heads are ready to discuss all items on the agenda. Everyone is looking forward to a constructive partnership. I hope it will be a fruitful meeting and that, above all, essential CIS documents will be signed.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.