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Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev: First of all I would like to report that work on bringing the forestry code into force is proceeding. We had to develop and adopt 23 government cabinet resolutions. And at the present time all have been completed. Every month we gather together all the leaders of the Russian regions and listen to all their comments. We try to ensure that legislative changes do not affect work in the forestry sector.

In addition, we are working on issues relating to theft in the forestry sector. We are monitoring the entire territory of the Russian Federation for these purposes. Today one of the most acute problems exists in the Chita region. Unfortunately, the amount of wood obtained through illegal means is greater than the amount that is obtained legally. We have uncovered two private customs points and more than 250 loggers. A significant amount of wood stolen from other regions passes through the Chita region. On Saturday we are going to fly to the region with the Interior Minister [Rashid Nurgaliyev], a large team that includes customs officers and the FSB, and examine all these problems.

President Vladimir Putin: The adoption of a new law, the Forestry Code, should have a positive influence on the forestry sector.

Yury Trutnev: Naturally.

Vladimir Putin: And the second issue.

Yury Trutnev: Today we held a meeting on filling the pipeline between eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. We gathered all the companies that own permits together and updated the permits because a significant number of them did not have deadlines — neither for geological studies nor for commencing extraction. This work has now been completed.

There are no problems relating to major companies. Surgutneftegaz is working ahead of schedule and Rosneft is working according to schedule. However, there are problems today linked to smaller companies, and this type of company accounts for about 30 percent of the reserves. We are going to take all possible measures in this regard. We are going to revoke the permits of those who cannot cope with these measures and then redistribute them. However, we will try to do everything possible to ensure that the pipes are filled up with the promised amounts according to schedule.

Vladimir Putin: Do you have a vision of how to resolve this problem? Is this issue one that, despite these problems, can be resolved or do you expect that the problems will persist?

Yury Trutnev: There will not be any strategic problems.

Vladimir Putin: If everything gets done and done according to schedule, will the pipe be filled?

Yury Trutnev: Yes, it will.