NEWS

Over 5 thousand school boys and girls from all districts of Tatarstan who achieved distinction in studies, social activities or delivered good sport results were present at the republic’s main New Year Tree Party on December 26. Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev also attended the event.

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev met with Abdullah Alem, the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference at the Kazan Kremlin on December 26.

December 25, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev presented State Awards of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2009 in the sphere of science and technology. The event was held in the Ceremonial Hall of the Kazan Kremlin.

Kamaz auto manufacturer’s general director Sergei Kogogin has met with the city’s media, to summarise the results of the year.

According to Kogogin, despite the difficult time, the city’s backbone company had earned the reputation of a respected firm that easily adjusts to changes. “Most importantly, we have survived. We did not stand with a hat in hand, we worked. We are the only auto manufacturing company in the country that feels OK. Although much was at stake – payroll reductions and production decline,” said the CEO.

According to the company’s chief, in 2010 Kamaz should expect no dramatic improvements in the figures. Operation to full capacity, including increase in profits and in production should, based on the mid-term goals, resume by 2013.

JSC Tatneft will in 2010 invest about $110 million in drilling in Libya and $10 million in Syria, said the company’s general director Shafgat Takhautdinov.

A total of 4 exploratory wells have been drilled in Syria, each yielding 150 tonnes of oil in gush, while 40 tonnes a day is pumped out of the second well. One more oil well costing $10 million is to be drilled. Syria has confirmed the discovery of the oilfield.

Geological exploration of four oilfields is near completion in Libya. The work is estimated at $250 million, of which $70-80 million has been invested. In 2010, the work is scheduled to be completed. The first drilled oil well yields daily 175 tonnes of oil. One more well was days ago bored. The drilling of the third well has begun, Shafgat Takhautdinov said.

Tatarstan Culture Minister Zilya Valeyeva and some other Tatarstanians have been presented the Government of Russia Culture Award 2009 for establishing a museum unit in Yelabuga. Pursuant to the Government of Russia’s resolution from December 23, 2009, published on the Russian Cabinet of Ministers’s website, the head of Yelabuga municipality in Tatarstan Ilshat Gafurov has been granted the award as well.

Besides, government awards have been presented to the author of a tourism promotion programme, deputy head of the Tatarstan Yelabuga municipality Lilia Nurgatina, author of a project of reconstruction and restoration of the museum unit Farit Khanifov, author of museum guided tours, and of the Yelabuga state reserve museum of history, architecture and art general director Gulzada Rudenko.

The Euro-2 motor fuel will in Tatarstan be gradually replaced with the Euro-4 petrol. “In terms of ecology, this means a 5-10-fold decrease in the discharge into the atmosphere of various components,” told a news conference at the printed media and mass communication agency the head of the analytical department at the Tatarstan Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources Andrey Kalaida. The conference was held to discuss the implementation of the Kyoto Potocol.

Tatneft (RTS: TATN) may pay 30% of net profit in 2009 as dividends, the company's board chairman, Tatarstan Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov, told journalists, reports Interfax.

Asked about the size of the dividend, Minnikhanov said: "That's all written down in the budget." Tatarstan's 2010 budget recommends that state-owned companies pay a dividend equal to 30% of profit for the year.

The day before Tatneft General Director Shafagat Takhautdinov said net profit in 2009 would rise 46% to over 50 billion rubles. Thus, the dividend for 2009 will total about 15 billion rubles.

Tatarstan Prime Minister Roustam Minnikhanov has called the construction of an oil refining plant in Nizhnekamsk, part of the Taneko project implemented by Tatneft, the 2010’s crucial project. He said it in a statement at a traditional meeting with journalists before the New Year. According to him, the plant, capable of producing 7 million tonnes of oil annually, should be completed in October next year, the project has in general been financed for 120 billion roubles; 6.5 thousand people are employed at the construction.

A campaign called Kazan Russia’s Third Capital will on December 25 take place in the Coltso entertainment centre in Kazan. The event is sponsored by the Assembly of Tourist Volunteers.

A quiz aimed to test the knowledge of the city’s history, Kazan’s most remarkable sights and methods of attracting tourists to Tatarstan will be held within the event. Besides, an opinion poll, to identify the Kazan residents’ awareness of and attitude to increased tourist traffic in the city will be conducted.