NEWS

Cooperation in different spheres – oil prospecting and extraction, oil and gas industry, production of machine oil, high blocks construction – was discussed at the meeting of Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev and President of “Mostazafan and Janbazan Foundation” Mohammed Froozande at the Kazan Kremlin.
The participants of the meeting were: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Russian Federation Golamreza Shafei, Deputy President of “Mostazafan and Janbazan Foundation” Asgari Bashkani, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the RT President Timur Akulov, Director General of OAO “Tatneft” Shafagat Takhautdinov, et al.

On April 27, at the Kazan Kremlin, RT President Mintimer Shaimiev conducted a meeting with a focus on “Ensuring legality by officials of the executive bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan in exercising their functions”. The talks ranged from ways of fighting against economic crimes to bribe-taking in policlinics. The meeting was attended by RT Prime-minister Rustam Minnikhanov, Chairman of the RT State Council Farid Mukhametshin, head of ministries and administrations, et al.

On April 23 at the Kazan Kremlin, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev met with Chairman of the State Assembly of the Republic of Altai Igor Yaimov. During the meeting, the Tatarstan President and the Chairman of the State Assembly of Altai discussed the concept of the further interaction. In 2006, the Republic of Altai will celebrate the 250th anniversary of joining Russia. Igor Yaimov invited Mintimer Shaimiev to the forthcoming celebrations.

On April 21, the Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, general-colonel Nikolay Patrushev arrived in Kazan. He will introduce the new head of the Directorate of the FSB of the Russian Federation in the RT. President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev met the guest at the international airport "Kazan". Alexander Gusev, the former head of the RF UFSB in the RT, was elected deputy of the Tatarstan State Council of Tatarstan on April 14.

Improvement of Tatarstan-Uzbekistan relations was discussed at the meeting of Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Uzbekistan Farit Mukhametshin on April 19 at the Kazan Kremlin. The large Uzbekistan market is not widely used today, but many Western and Russian companies plan to integrate into the economy of the country. A number of agreements had been signed with Tatarstan, but due to objective reasons, non-convertible currency in particular, they did not work as good as wished.

On March 26, at the first session of the republican Parliament of the 3rd convocation, Farid Mukhametshin has been appointed Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan. RT President Mintimer Shaimiev said it is quite natural for Farid Mukhametshin possesses experience and authority. He went on to say that it is of no small account that he is the leader of the regional section of the governing “United Russia” party.

Cooperation of Tatarstan and Sweden was discussed at the Kazan Kremlin on 22nd March at the official meeting of President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden in the RF Sven Hirdman. Referring to the IKEA store opened earlier that day, Mintimer Shaimiev emphasized that their understanding is substantiated by new achievements from meeting to meeting. Trade cooperation is just one of directions of bilateral interaction.

The IKEA store was opened in Kazan that is the first project of the company expansion. It marks the beginning of a great regional IKEA program in Russia. "Today is an important day for Kazan, because the opening of IKEA means 23.5 sq. meters of trading area, large assortment of high-quality goods and 350 highly paid vacancies,” Kazan Mayor Kamil Iskhakov said at the opening ceremony.
There were crowds of people willing to do shopping in the newly opened IKEA, so that RT President Mintimer Shaimiev who arrived for the opening ceremony was pleasantly surprised.

March 21-24, 2004, the Embassy of Sweden in Moscow holds Swedish Culture Days in Kazan. In this regard, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden Sven Hirdman and his wife arrived in Kazan on Sunday. Mr Ambassador will take part in the opening of Swedish Film Days in Kazan and IKEA store.
The official programme of the visit of Mr Hirdman will include meetings with RT President Mintimer Shaimiev, First Deputy Prime Minister Ravil Muratov, Culture Minister Ildus Tarkhanov.

Today saw a grand opening of the East wing of the main building of Kazan State University. President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev attended the opening.
Mintimer Shaimiev marked that the East wing was built a hundred years ago in 1904, so that in a hundred years after the university had been founded, and a hundred years before the today’s event.