Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed the President on the state of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme and on the results of the fourth joint collegium of the Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries.
The meeting also discussed the spread of bird flu. Mr Putin instructed the government to set up a task force for combating bird flu. On the proposal of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has been appointed to head this task force.
See also
Extracts from Transcript of Meeting with the Government Cabinet
February 27, 2006