Tatarstan - reliable partner

On December 25, back from Moscow, RT President answered the questions of journalists. The first question was about the results of his meeting with new head of "Gazprom" Alexei Miller.

We do have mutual understanding between the republic and Gazprom, the President of Tatarstan emphasized. The leadership of Gazprom considers Tatarstan a big and reliable partner. The republic provides for the current payments and gradually repays old debts. It is necessary also to take into account the fact that the republic in general met its engagements under the Program of gas-installation - there are more consumers in Tatarstan now, it is a very important factor for Gazprom.

Tatarstan manages with 14 billion cubic metres of gas, which is the result of rigid economy of gas by both the population and all sectors of national economy. The President believes the republic will be supplied with gas in necessary volumes.

The conversation also dealt with gas delivery to the republican enterprises of petrochemistry as well as the problem of Orgsintez, working on the basis of commissioned raw material.

Gazprom leadership got interested in several joint projects proposed by Tatarstan, including the manufacture of linear polyethylene and development of new turbine engine NK-38, having no analogues in Russia and exceeding world analogues by some parameters. Projects are taken for study, but the arrangement on development of the agreement on economic, scientific and technical cooperation between Gazprom and Tatarstan has already been reached.

Another interesting thing is that the Government allocated 400 million rubles on aircraft for the Financial leasing company created in Tatarstan. It means that the Kazan aviation factory is provided with work for the next year.

With regard to the liquidation of the Russian Clemency Commission, the RT President said that this question was mentioned during his meeting with Vladimir Putin devoted to the problems of changing the Tatarstan Constitution. 'According to the Treaty between Russia and Tatarstan the clemency issues lie with Tatarstan. I have expressed an opinion that, under certain clauses, the motions on clemency may be prepared by the relevant legal services and adopted by the Russian President. And under some clauses, even under many clauses, this right might be given to regions. I felt President Putin was interested in this. This conversation might have promoted the present decision'.