Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:

Tarja Halonen (as translated): Mr Prime Minister, we appreciate that you have found an opportunity to attend the summit on the Baltic Sea. It is important for the Baltic Sea and for all countries located on its shores.

The atmosphere at the summit was good from the very start in the morning but it became even better when you arrived with the Russian delegation. All those present were waiting for you. We know that you had several bilateral meetings, which also took place in a good spirit.

Vladimir Putin: I would like to emphasize once again that this is a very useful event and all issues we have discussed are of great importance for all participating countries.

The main point is that this was not a general discourse about the good and the evil, which may also be important in some context but the discussion of absolutely concrete issues. Our cooperation is manifest in concrete investment in environmental protection. I remember how we met several times in St. Petersburg during the implementation of the project on building treatment facilities.

Tarja Halonen: This was President Putin, right?

Vladimir Putin: Absolutely. It was your obedient servant. At that time, with your active participation, we completed a major stage in the reconstruction of treatment facilities. This work is continued in the Leningrad Region and Kaliningrad. As a result, enormous amounts of sewage would be processed and the Baltic Sea would look different in several years.

This is also a major direction of cooperation in the northern dimension with the European Union.

Tarja Halonen: I think that this cooperation is quite effective in HELCOM. Officials from Sweden, the future chairman, told me that cooperation in HELCOM is making steady progress.

I hope that it was useful for you to establish a direct contact with the future HELCOM chairman. Sweden will assume chairmanship very soon.

Vladimir Putin: Apart from anything else, Helsinki proved to be a very good venue for developing and restoring our relations with our partners and next-door neighbours. I had an opportunity to meet the presidents of Lithuania and Latvia and colleagues from Denmark and Norway.