NEWS

June 14, the President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev by video-communication from the centre of company "Tattelekom" welcomed participants of the second Open festival of regional broadcasting companies "Culture on air" held in Nizhnekamsk. Mintimer Shaimiev thanked the RF Ministry of culture and minister Mikhail Shvydkoj, participating in festival, that the place of holding such representative forum was elected city of Tatarstan, Nizhnekamsk.

On May, 24 in Russkoye Nikolskoye village people celebrated the holiday "Karavon". Today it is a republic-wide show of folklore collectives and soloists which arrived from twenty districts of Tatarstan and republics of Russia. President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev marked its value for the multinational Tatarstan people.

If someone says that there is little specificity,and such judgements are expressed, I would offer them to try to assess the present situation in internal and foreign policy, social and economic development of the country within the framework of one-hour statement, President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev said, commenting upon the statement of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, his annual Message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. It is impossible to specify more, than it does.

Development of trade and external economic cooperation between Tatarstan and the Republic of Bangladesh was discussed during the meeting of President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimieva and Ambassador Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in the Russian Federation Nazimullah Chowdhury.

On May 16 in Moscow, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Republic of Tatarstan signed the Protocol on interaction in the sphere of international and foreign economic relations for 2003-2005. The document signed by RT President Mintimer Shaimiev and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Ivanov is developed, proceeding from the necessity of active interaction of the parties in realization of the international part of the governmental program "Preparation for Kazan Millenium".

The Zelenodolsk factory POZIS has successfully finished the first stage of modernization of refrigerating line and began launched a new line of household refrigerators "Premier". Among the participants of its presentation on May 17 were President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev, heads of ministries and departments, delegation of world famous Italian concern "Cannon" led by its President doctor Carlo Fiorentini.

On May 5, the Executive Committee of the World Congress of Tatars held the presentation of the first volume of the academic publication "History of Tatars from most ancient times". The first part of the seven-volume edition became the result of cooperation of scientists of Institute of History n.a. S.Mardzhani of the Tatar Academy of Sciences and representatives of leading research centres of Tatarstan and Russia (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Ufa, Makhachkala, Izhevsk). President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev participated in the presentation of the book and this meeting became a real meditation on the destiny, past and future of the Tatar people.

An agreement on mutual cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Joint-stock company on petroleum transport Transneft was signed on April, 22 in the Kazan Kremlin. In the presence of Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimieva, Prime Minister of the RT R.Minnikhanov and President of Transneft S.Vainshtok affixed their signatures to the document.

The biggest art gallery of the republic will be opened in the near future in the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. This issue was discussed during the meeting between President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev and national artist of the USSR, full member of the Russian Academy of arts Kharis Yakupov.

One of conducting experts of Russia in the field of quality, the president of the All-Russia organization of quality and Academy of problems of quality Gennady Voronin has arrived April, 10 to Kazan to take part in work of the republican seminar devoted to the new law on technical regulation which has passed in the Ministry of Economics and the industry RT. In the Kazan Kremlin of the Russian scientist the President of Tatarstan the Mintimer Shaimiev has accepted.