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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Dear Mr Prime Minister, I am very glad to see you in Moscow. And I recall that the last time you were in the Russian capital was exactly one year ago.

Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert: It was on precisely this day.

Vladimir Putin: That's right. But our contacts have never ceased. Relations between Israel and the Russian Federation are developing both in the political and economic spheres. I hope that today we will be able to talk about our entire range of bilateral relations.

I would be very interested to hear your assessment of the process of finding a settlement between Israel and Palestine. Mr Prime Minister, we know how much effort you have expended in order to see progress in this sphere. We know how difficult it is for you to do so because of domestic political reasons.

We know how concerned you are with regards to the issue of Iran's nuclear programme. I am ready to share the results of my visit to Tehran with you. In general, we have a lot to talk about, and we are sincerely happy to see you in Moscow.

Ehud Olmert: Thank you very much Mr President. I know that you have had a very busy week. I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk with you about several issues, as you just said. The Palestinian issue is very high on our agenda. I will be glad to hear about the outcome of your visit to Iran, to talk about the concerns we have concerning Iran, and to talk about other issues.

I am especially pleased to be able to use today's opportunity to talk with you about all these issues.

When we met previously, I always had the pleasure of talks with you in a very open and direct atmosphere. I always understood that our meetings were designed to strengthen relations between Russia, a world power, and the state of Israel. And I hope that today's meeting will also allow us to develop relations between our countries.

Vladimir Putin: It will.