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Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, first of all I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to look at this reserve. It is the only marine reserve in the country and, frankly, I have not seen any others in other countries. It is the first reserve I have visited and I looked at it with great pleasure and interest.

The work you are doing is very large-scale and very necessary, especially since environmental problems, like many others, have no borders in the modern world. One is particularly aware of this here because there are many neighbours here which are actively developing their industries and economies. Problems are piling up not only on our territory, but also on their territories. I am sure you know of this better than I do. It goes without saying, that we should organise work with specialists from China, North and South Koreas, Japan and Mongolia.

As I gathered from what I have been told on the way here, such work is proceeding according to plan and is fairly effective. We will continue to help you through our Government, through the Foreign Ministry, we will support this work and do all we can to make it effective.

A lot of issues have piled up on our territory. They are of course connected above all with economic development and they include protection of bioresources, this subject loomed largely in the discussion we have just had, as well as the subject of the protection of the forests. We have many questions and problems on the Sakhalin continental shelf in connection with its development.

You are aware of the relevant plans in the region, I am referring to the plans for oil workers to develop pipeline transportation, and I would like to discuss this topic with you and hear your opinions today. For example, to see if the decision has been made for the best place to build the pipeline and the best place to develop the infrastructure.

Many of the issues are purely regional. One such issue is the need to build purification plants in Vladivostok. This has to do with the protection of bioresources and the forests, the cleaning of some harbours from pollution, including radiation, and a number of other problems.

In general, work in this sphere and environmental policy present social and moral, and not only scientific challenges. This year we passed some key documents. First, the Federal Law On Environmental Protection was passed. And today, because of the time lag, we are starting this work and later in the day the Government will take it up and consider the Environmental Doctrine of the Russian Federation at its meeting. They will discuss it in their offices at the White House while we will talk about it right on the spot, in one of the Russian natural reserves. A draft federal law, designed to offer a system and measures of liability for damage to the environment, has to all intents and purposes been prepared. I suggest that we discuss all these issues today.