Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Luzhkov, how is work coming along in Moscow?
Yuri Luzhkov: Mr Putin, right after our conversation, the emergency response team began its work. All staff members are present now.
We are completely ready. All hotlines have been set up. I am now in the Moscow office of the Emergencies Ministry. We are ready to handle calls on these hotlines in two languages, Russian and English, and will try to take calls in Polish as well.
Hotel arrangements have been made for the people arriving in Moscow, with the usual visa requirements waived. We have three hotels that can accommodate over 300 people.
The necessary emergency medical teams, Emergencies Ministry personnel and transport staff are all stationed at Domodedovo Airport, ready to handle the victims' bodies which will be carried there by helicopter. The exact location has been designated where they will be taken. The work will continue throughout the night under our supervision.
All the other issues, whether related to memorial services or psychological and medical attention for the people arriving, have already been taken care of.
Psychologists from our Department of Public Health Services and psychologists from our Committee on Social Security have been called on. Everything has been arranged - at the airports and at Belorussky Vokzal - services, announcements and hotline communications for any issues that might come up. We are awaiting their arrival. And all of this will be done with traffic police escort. Everything will be carried out in an appropriate and timely manner. Reception, food service... I actually think that food, accommodations, and transport will be provided free of charge to the people coming on this sad occasion. That concludes my report.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Mr Luzhkov. Health Ministry, Tatiana Golikova, please go ahead.
Tatiana Golikova: Domodedovo is now ready to receive the bodies. In addition to the Department of the City of Moscow, the federal institution All-Russian Centre for Disaster Medicine "Zashchita" (protection), the Moscow Regional Health Ministry, the appropriate disaster medicine services of the Moscow Region and the Emergencies Ministry have all been mobilised. Thirty forensic experts from the city of Moscow's forensic bureau are already on stand-by, joined by federal forensic DNA experts, who are currently at the central bureau of forensic medical examination, awaiting the arrivals from Smolensk. Mortuary refrigerators are also ready, so, basically, we are completely prepared. And psychiatrists from the Serbsky Centre have already been dispatched for round-the-clock service to the same place - the central bureau of forensic medical examination. And just as Mr Luzhkov said, psychology specialists from the health and emergencies ministries will be on call at each location where the victims' relatives will be arriving.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Domodedovo Airport, are you on? What is the situation there and how is work progressing?
Alexander Tsukanov (deputy chief of a regional centre of the Emergencies Ministry): By now, all our staff and resources have been mobilised. We have five emergency ambulance cars, 23 cars to carry the bodies, 5 Scania vehicles, 19 traffic police cars for escort, and 15 search and rescue vehicles. There are 82 medical workers, 38 traffic police, and 50 people to carry out loading operations. Everyone is ready for work. That concludes my report.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you, everyone. Keep working.