NEWS

The JSC Tatneftekhiminvest Holding board of directors, whose meeting was chaired by Prime Minister of Tatarstan Roustam Minnikhanov, has reviewed a draft programme of Tatarstan’s oil and gas industry development in 2010-2014.

According to Prime Minister, the two previous plans had mostly been fulfilled, and Tatarstan’s further economic strategy was based on oil and petrochemistry as well.

The holding’s general director Rafinat Yarullin said an integrated solution to the issues of investments and innovative development, supply of raw material, marketing, as well as energy, environmental, social and personnel policy was needed, to ensure the industry’s competitiveness. The document is built on the two preceding programmes and sets new ambitions tasks.

Christmas musical festival “Sounds of Christmas” opened in Kazan on December 21. This project idea belongs to head of Saint Cecilia choir – Milyausha Nasibullina. Entrance to concerts is free of charge. The Catholic Church has prepared a three-day programme for Kazan people interested in music.

Despite the fact that the festival will take place in a temple, the organizers say it is a secular event.

Tatarstan may count on support from the federal centre, said Russia’s First Vice-premier Igor Shuvalov after a meeting at the Cabinet of Ministers, attended by the President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev.

The First Deputy Chairman of the government of Tatarstan Ravil Muratov said in a report that the local real sector had in the time of the crisis received 110 billion roubles. “110 billion roubles has been allocated from all the sources for anti-crisis measures. They include the Taneko project, Universiade venues and major repair – the money has been given directly to people, to the republic’s economy,” enhanced Muratov.

December 21 saw the ceremony of closing of the Year of Sport and Healthy Lifestyle in Tatarstan and opening of six Universiade-2013 venues taking place at the Single Combat Palace. The event was attended by Igor Shuvalov, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, and Mintimer Shaimiev, the President of Tatarstan.
Later on, Igor Shuvalov and Mintimer Shaimiev took pat in the meeting of the RT Cabinet of Ministers on implementation of the Law of the Russian Federation of June 21, 2007 №158-ФЗ ‘On the Foundation for Facilitating the Housing and Municipal Reform’ and the nation-wide project ‘Affordable and comfortable housing to Russian citizens’ and tasks for 2010.

A contest on Arabic calligraphy will be held in Kazan on December 22. Students of Muslim educational institutions of Tatarstan Muslim Religious Board will participate in it.

Students will compete in knowledge of Arabic script, history of calligraphy and Muslim painting. Winners will be awarded with valuable prizes. The contest is dated to the sacred month Mukharram which marks the beginning of New Year according to the Muslim calendar Hijrah.

The Tatarstan’s programme of fuel and energy industry development in 2006-2020, endorsed by a law of Tatarstan, could be changed. The issue was discussed by a Tatarstan Security Council scientific and technical council for subsoil management, held by the State Advisor to President of Tatarstan on subsoil management, oil, gas and ecology Irina Larochkina. A corresponding draft law was decided to be devised. The necessity to make alterations is accounted for in particular by the government of Russia in November approving a Russian Energy Strategy until 2030. The document contains some novelties including development of non-fuel energy and energy and resource efficiency. The development of the fuel and energy branch in Tatarstan demands for some alterations. The construction of the Taneko oil refining and petrochemistry complex in Nizhnekamsk, with a 14-million-tonnes annual capacity, is one example, Irina Larochkina said.

One of the programme’s main tasks is stabilising oil recovery in Tatarstan at 30 million tonnes a year. To do that, measures for intensifying prospecting and exploration of new fields, including low-productivity reserves, increasing the oil and bitumen production recovery factor .the programme highlights gas industry, thermal and electrical energy, and development of alternative energy sources with use of local and secondary resources.

The 10th International Tatar Song Festival Tatar Zhiri was held on December 19 at the Pyramid Convention Centre. The guest of honour at the festival was Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev. Speaking at the event, the head of the republic reminded the audience that Zilya Sungatullina, the people’s artist of Russia and Tatarstan, laureate of the Gabdulla Tukai State Prize, celebrated her jubilee.

Today, United Russia political party awarded heads of the best sport facilities as a part of the project “Construction of physical culture and health-improving complexes” in Moscow.

Head of “United Russia” party’s central executive committee, Andrei Vorobyov and chairman of the Federation Council commission for physical culture, sport and Olympic movement and development, Vyacheslav Fetisov participated in the awarding ceremony.

Tatarstan will participate in the 42nd International Cairo Book Fair, which will be organized in Egypr in January 28-February 10. Our republic will become the principal participant of Russia’s national exposition.

Round table discussions on the following topics will be held: “Modern Russian literature”, “Russia – Egypt: a thousand years of intercultural cooperation”, “Russian-Egyptian dialogue in the 21st century”, “Writer, translator, editor: bridges of literature”, “Young literature of Russia”. Gabdulla Tukai’s influence on the Turkic literature will be discussed at a roundtable discussion on the 125th anniversary.

Tatarstan’s national book stand will be arranged in Cairo with participation of the leading publishing houses of the republic.

December 17, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev met with Aleksei Savinov, the Head of the Federal Forestry Agency (Rosleskhoz) at the Kazan Kremlin.