President Vladimir Putin: As we agreed, we are focusing our attention today principally on economic cooperation issues. Our priorities here are in the energy, transport and infrastructure sectors and include electricity, energy resource supplies and the construction of structural facilities in this sector. As for transport, this includes air transport and some other areas. We will also look at social issues and we have plans regarding military-technical cooperation and I would like to say a few words on this issue too.
But before we begin our work I would like to congratulate all our Turkish friends and colleagues on the New Year, wish you all the very best in this new year and wish you, your families and the entire Turkish people happiness, health and prosperity.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan: First of all I would like to express the hope that this new year of 2005 that has just begun will be a good year for all of humanity, for the Russian people and for Turkey. I hope that 2005 will be a year of prosperity for us all.
Your New Year and Christmas holidays are ending now and the working year is beginning.
Today’s meeting will give us the chance to exchange views on issues such as energy, tourism and trade and economic cooperation. We will also have the opportunity to discuss expanding our military-technical cooperation. Of course, we shall also have a chance to look at issues concerning our region of the world.