NEWS

January 29, the session of RT Constitutional commission, which considered the project of new edition of the Constitution of Republic Tatarstan took place.

January 29, Kazan Kremlin, President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev received Troops Commander of the Volga - Ural districts, general - colonel Alexander Baranov. During a meeting A. Baranov read out the order of Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanov, according to which president of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev for active participation in solving the problems of defensive industry was awarded with the nominal organic weapon.

President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev received hundreds of congratulations on occasion of his 65-anniversary.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin called Mintimer Shaimiev on January 20 to congratulate him personally.

On January 9, an exhibition "Monuments of Islamic art" from the State Hermitage collection was opened in Kazan with participation of RT President Mintimer Shaimiev and the director of the State museum "Hermitage", academician Michael Piotrovsky.

January 5, Kazan Kremlin, President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev met with president of the International Federation of Russian hockey Albert Pomortzev.

President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev congratulated the residents of the republic professing orthodoxy, with the Christmas holiday and wished all good luck, well-being and long years of life.

President of Tatarstan M.Shaimiev hopes that the Kazan Mother of God icon kept in Vatican will be returned to Kazan before the celebration of the 1000-anniversary of Kazan.
In his interview with Interfax he emphasized that such a gesture on the part of the Pope would please all Orthodox believers of the country, especially those who live in Tatarstan.

"This year we managed to realize all planned social programs and maintained production growth, we had a record agricultural harvest", M.Shaimiev told the Interfax. In his opinion, the main achievement of 2001 is that the republic could keep political stability, interethnic peace and solidarity despite the world events.

December 28, Kazan Kremlin, the President of Republic Tatarstan M.Shaimiev entrusted the State awards and premiums of Republic Tatarstan, and also the Premiums of the Government of the Russian Federation to the figures of science and arts of the republic.
According to the President of Republic Tatarstan M. Shaimiev, present year comes to an end as a whole satisfactorily. Today, at the rewarding ceremony, have got together those who bring a special contribution to development of our republic. It is good, that there are such people which go ahead and recognized as the locomotives in their branch, an example for all others, said the head of Tatarstan.

On December 27, RT President Mintimer Shaimiev met Ruslan Nigmatullin - the best goalkeeper of Russia, who has recently signed a contract with Italian "Verona". Ruslan is from Tatarstan - he came to Kazan to see his parents. M.Shaimiev complimented Ruslan who does not forget his roots and tells interviewers about his native land, about Kazan. In President's opinion, the world is now open and there are no borders for talents - the main thing is to remember one's origins.