NEWS

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.

Kazan hosted RF Vice-Premier Boris Alyoshin Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government Boris Alyoshin arrived to Kazan on December 22. Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev met the guest at the International airport Kazan.
It is not by chance our republic hosts Boris Alyoshin for he is responsible for industrial policy in the Russian Government. Mintimer Shaimiev and Boris Alyoshin agreed in opinion that the on-coming negotiations on issues of development of Tatarstan industry and defense complex will have an impact upon overall economy of the country.

Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev has signed the Law “On the budget of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2004”, as reported by the Press-centre of RT President. The text of the law will be officially published in mass-media.

The writers’ organisation of Chuvashia has celebrated its 80th anniversary in Cheboksary. Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev sent his greetings to the Chuvash writers together with a carpet with a picture of the Kazan Kremlin. The Tatarstan delegation invited Chuvash colleagues to take part in the Days of the Chuvash literature in Tatarstan to be held in spring 2004.

XX plenary session of the RT State Council continued its work on December 15. Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev partook in the work of the session. In Tatarstan, 2.8 people (77.13%) made their choice. The chairman of the CEC marked that it was for the first time when parties had played the main role in a political campaign. The first three leaders in the republic are United Russia (59.53%), KPRF (8.91%), and LDPR (6.1%). 4.4% of population voted against all.

December 15, Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev visited the personal exhibition of the Honoured Worker of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, full member of Paris Academy of Fine Arts, Academician of Natural sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, painter Kamil Valiakhmetovich Mullashev, held at “Kazan” National and Cultural Centre.
This exhibition of the great master, inimitable painter, summarising his thirty years’ creative work, is timed to the Year of Kazakhstan in Russia. Over 70 paintings are exhibited, among which there are such brilliant works as the portrait of tzarina Syuyumbike and Kazakhstan President N.Nazarbaev, acknowledged the best one of his portraits.