NEWS

“As for Russia many Europeans believe the father to the east the more difficult to build relations. Kazan is situated a thousand kilometers from Moscow to the east, but as for the issues of federalism it is much closer to the west than Moscow”, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the German Parliament Volker Ruehe came at this conclusion after the meeting with President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev in the Kazan Kremlin on January 22. The interlocutors shared their opinions on many questions raised at the meeting.

Kazan Kremlin, President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev has met with deputy minister - chief of public safety service of the RF Ministry of Internal Affairs, colonel-general of militia Sergey Shadrin.
President and federal minister discussed problems of raising efficiency of divisions of the ministries of internal affairs providing public safety and first of all of the institute of local militiamen and traffic-patrol service. In this connection, the interlocutors focused on the necessity of reinforcing trust of the population to the officials of these structures and maintenance of publicity of their work.

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev sent a greeting message to director of KamAZ-master team S. Yakubov and director general of OAO KamAZ S. Kogogin to congratulate the team members and all KamAZ workers on a convincing victory in one of the most prestigious world motor races. “The team of KamAZ-master once again proved its highest skill, professionalism, unity, and mutual understanding in a difficult many-days struggle on the renowned route of transcontinental supermarathon race. We know what hardest work has to be done for such success, we are grateful to the sportsmen for their courage and irrepressible striving for winning and to KamAZ workers for well-organised preparation of the team for difficult trials..."

"Kazan" mountain ski resort has been opened on January 16. It is situated 35 kilometres from the capital of Tatarstan in a picturesque site - at the merge of the Sviyaga and Volga rivers. The complex boasts of 9 slopes and trails of various degree of difficulty, 800 to 1800 meters in length. The complex will involve people in active leisure. For this purpose there is a ski station with ski hire rental, children's town, skating rink, chairlift, snowmaking. "Kazan" extras include a shop, cafe, restaurant, and apartments for two to eight persons (with bathrooms and saunas).
President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev talked at the opening.

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev received Consul General of the Republic of Turkey Ismail Hakki Musa in the Kazan Kremlin on December 14. The Consul started his work just after Christmas holidays. Before he worked in Brussels as First Secretary, Councilor of the Permanent Representative Office of Turkey to the European Union. President and Consul marked that there are no problems in interactions of the sides, discussed prospects of development of bilateral relations between Tatarstan and Turkey.

Rather long and detailed has turned out to be the meeting between President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev and representatives of the Kazan diocese of Russian Orthodox Church headed by its leader Archbishop of Kazan and Tatarstan Anastasy that had passed at the Kazan Kremlin on January 6, on the eve of light Christmas holiday.

Over 5 thousand of children gathered at the principal New Year’s Tree of the republic, the grand opening of which was held on December 26 in the Basket-Hall. The guest of honour, President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev congratulated children on a New Year. We love you and rely on you, he said. Together we can make our homeland – Tatarstan – so wonderful a fairytale as the one you have just seen on the stage.

December 25 saw an opening of Nizhnekamsk synthetic oil plant taking place in the city of Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan and having no analogues in Russia. The plant is unique for it is the first one in Russia that will process polyalphaolefins (PAO), the use of which decreases the speed of metals corrosion, extends longevity and reliability of mechanisms, et al. The technology of its production has been worked out by scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

IV Congress of the “Unity and Homeland”-“United Russia” political party took place in the Rossiya Concert Hall in Moscow on December 24 and gathered 651 delegates from the Russian regions.
Members of the Presidium, political party leaders Boris Gryzlov, Yury Luzhkov, Mintimer Shaimiev, and Sergei Shoigu conducted the meeting by turns. Boris Gryzlov read the greeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The agenda comprised two political issues: political situation in the county after 7 December Duma elections and goals of the United Russia political party, endorsement of President Vladimir Putin in his bid for re-election in a March election.

Despite difficult years of perestroika, we managed to preserve the republican aircraft construction plants and the overall military-industrial complex, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev said at the meeting for development of aircraft industry, held in the Kazan Kremlin on December 23 and attended by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Boris Alyoshin.