NEWS

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.

French composer, virtuoso accordionist Richard Galliano composed a new melody in Tatarstan capital and named it “Kazan”. It was announced at the press-conference, which took place at “Pyramid” centre on April 8. The 6th festival of French jazz “Le Jazz” opened in Kazan as a part of the Year of France in Russia.

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov listened to reports on readiness of Yelabuga's infrastructure for hosting the 8th All-Russian Rural Sport Games on April 9.

Tatarstan plans to roll out production of immunobiological and biopharmaceutical medicines. The project will be participated by the government of Tatarstan, Mexican firm Probiomed and the Biotechnology CIS company. The Tatarstan-Mexican pharmaceutical project Bionovax is implemented within a strategy involving the development of biotechnologies and establishing a pharmaceutical cluster in Tatarstan, the acting Tatarstan economy minister Marat Safiullin told a news conference, attended by representatives from the Mexican firm, at the Tatarstan Economy Ministry.

The Biotechnology CIS director Vitaly Granovsky noted the project stipulated the establishment of an integrated pharmaceutical company, to comprise two modules, one producing pharmaceuticals and the other developing new technologies to manufacture new medicines.