President of Tatarstan held meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kingdom of Sweden to the Russian Federation

President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev received in the official residence, at the Kazan Kremlin Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kingdom of Sweden to the Russian Federation Juhan Mulander .

The meeting took place within the framework of Days of Sweden in Kazan, started in capital of the republic on May 15. The presentation project « Modern Sweden » (« Sweden Upgrade »), implemented under the initiative of the Government of Sweden from March to June 2006 in a number of cities of Russia is aimed at acquainting Russians with achievements of this country in the field of economy, culture, science, education and tourism, to help establishing business contacts between Swedish and Russian companies. In capital of Tatarstan the project is realized under the name « Days of Sweden in Kazan ». The program of Days which are carried out by the Embassy of Sweden to the Russian Federation with assistance of Department of external communications of RT President, the RT ministries of culture, trade and external economic cooperation, RT Agency on mass communication "Tatmedia ", the mayoralty of Kazan and the Swedish center at KGTU is rather various. From May 15 to May 19 the residents and visitors of Tatarstan capital may enjoy the opportunity to visit book exhibitions, presentations of books, modern Swedish dramatic art, participate in seminars, hear concerts of classical and jazz music, visit showing of retrospective movies by Ingmar Bergman.

President of Tatarstan began conversation with the Swedish diplomat from the playful remark that the guest has brought « good weather » to the republic. « We have successfully finished a spring sowing-time so the rain for us, now, is very opportune », - Mintimer Shaimiev noticed, having added, that, according to folk signs, « arrival of a good man is accompanied always with a rain ».

Then the head of republic passed to a business part of a meeting which was devoted to issues of bilateral cooperation between Russia and Sweden, and to development within its frameworks of all-round interaction of Tatarstan with this Scandinavian country. Sweden - one of the main investors of the Russian economy: the volume of direct investments into Russia exceeded 700 million dollars. The Russian - Swedish commodity circulation for last 10 years has increased by more than 2,5 times, having made 2005 4,3 billion US dollars in 2004 . « The condition of modern mutual relations between the two countries obliges us to even more effective cooperation », - RT President noted, having added, that in this point « much depends on mutual activity ».

He also marked with satisfaction that presence of major Swedish companies in the market of Tatarstan yields good results. As an example Mintimer Shaimiev referred to successfully operating in Kazan hypermarket IKEA –Kazan and trading complex "MEGA". The cooperation between Tatarstan and Sweden is developing not less effectively in the field of communications, information, development of technologies. So, while creating the technopark " Idea " in Kazan, as a basis, experience of Sweden was taken. Successfully enough, according to RT President , the business partnership of the enterprises of a machine-building complex of republic with Swedish companies " Volvo ", "Scania" is developing as well. This cooperation, the head of republic has assured, would be continued further. Upon end of a meeting the Ambassador of Kingdom of Sweden to the Russian Federation noted in interview to journalists that between Tatarstan and Sweden not only strong economic relations have been tuned up but also a cultural and sports exchange. Having reminded, that visit to Tatarstan is passing within the framework of the project “Modern Sweden » which from March to April of this year with success had been realized in Saint Petersburg, Vologda, Cherepovets and Yaroslavl, the Swedish diplomat emphasized, that « Kazan - a very important stop on «Varangian route ». The following cities which should accept the envoys of this Northern European country are Cheboksary, Nizhni Novgorod, Samara and Moscow.