NEWS

A meeting at the Tatarstan Economy Ministry has discussed possible areas of Tatarstan-Italy cooperation in applying new project financing technologies. Acting economy minister Marat Safiullin met with the Project Financing Consulting general director Lorenzo Kessler. The Tatarstan acting economy minster was presented the Italian’s firms practices of developing and implementing investment attraction projects in healthcare, ecology, tourism and other areas. The company has a vast experience in devising financing techniques for special investment projects with a complex structure and a potential for attracting financing from banking institutions.

Ravil Akhmetshin was appointed new Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Tatarstan to the Russian Federation.

The Book of Condolences was opened yesterday in connection with the tragic death of Poland President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and a large group of top Polish officials and politicians in the plane crash near Smolensk on April 10.

Thousands of Muscovites came to the Polish Embassy on Sunday to lay flowers in memory of the dead and express condolences to the Polish nation in connection with the accident.

On behalf of the President of Tatarstan and the State Council, the people of the Republic of Tatarstan, flowers were laid at the Polish Embassy in Moscow and a note of condolences to fraternal people of Poland was added to the Mourning Book.

In January-March, companies and associations of all types of ownership in Tatarstan, as well as private individuals with own means, have put in operation a total of 501.9 thousand square metres of residential facilities, which 24 percent less than last year, reports Tatarstanstat.

By comparison, housing commissioning in Tatarstan in January-March 2009 totalled 129.6 percent versus 2008. Companies in Tatarstan in the first quarter of this year accepted 3,085 flats of a total space of 231.9 thousand square metres.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Russian Federation, Timothy Mai Shelpidi, came to Kazan on a working visit on Sunday, April 11. The same day, the Ambassador of Nigeria visited the Raifa Monastery. The programme of the visit also includes a visit to the University of Kazan, a sightseeing tour, meetings with the republican leadership and a visit to the Technopark Idea and the IT Park.

The Finance magazine has published a rating list of Russia’s 160 highest-cost companies, as of April 2 worth at least $1 billion. As few as 71 companies were above the mark a year earlier. Three Tatarstan-based companies have been included in the ranking.

JSC Tatneft is positioned 25th, , 6th in the oil recovery industry, with capitalisation of $10.8 billion. The company has over the year has gained 97 percent in “weight”. The ranking’s commentary says the apocalyptic estimates of oil prices, from $20 and down, voiced universally a year and a half ago, have never come true. In the early 2009, the Brent and Urals sorts’s quotations went up, a recovery in shares at “black gold” companies coming along.

A concert dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the legendary singer, Russia and Tatarstan People’s Artist Ilham Shakirov took place on April 11 at the Moscow Kremlin Palace. The Tatar singer celebrated his anniversary on February 15 on the stage of the Gabdulla Tukai Tatar State Philharmonics. The concert was held with the support of the Tatarstan Government.

An extraordinary meeting of the Academic Council of Kazan (Volga) Federal University with participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and Russian Education and Science Minister was held at the University Ceremonial Hall on April 10.

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov met with Andrei Fursenko, the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, at the Kazan Kremlin on April 10.

A republican video conference meeting on implementation of the Federal Law No 185-FZ on the Fund for reforming the housing and utility sector and housing construction and commissioning in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2010 including housing for Great Patriotic War veterans was held at the RT Cabinet of Ministers on April 10. The meeting was conducted by Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov.