Address of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan to the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan

Peculiarities of political situation

Last year, the social-political situation in the Republic of Tatarstan developed in the context of All-Russian processes. The situation in the country was seriously affected by acts of terror, especially by the Beslan tragedy, which increased the speed of changing the procedure of electing the highest officials in the subjects of the federation. The changes touched upon the oncoming elections to the State Duma. These measures should not be considered as a rejection of federalism. A prosperous Russia can develop only as a federal, democratic state. The measures undertaken by the federal centre last year are aimed at safeguarding the security of the country and increasing the efficiency of governing.

The new procedure of conferring authority on the highest officials, established by the federal legislature, required relevant changes to be introduced in the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Last year, it was ten years since the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan had been signed. Recently, some politicians tried to call the necessity of contractual relation in question. If senators reject the constitutional norm, we should not expect that the fundamental Law will be observed by other structures and ordinary citizens of the country.

Political stability and security

In our republic safeguarding inter-ethnic and inter-confessional peace and consent traditionally has been paid special attention. According to the population census, there are 8 nationalities in Tatarstan the population of which exceeds 10,000. The first are Tatars (52.9%), and Russians make 39.5%, being the second. The most represented peoples are Chuvashes, Udmurts, Ukrainians, Mordvinians, Maris and Bashkirians.
,br> General social conditions in the republic are noticeably affected by the state of religious life and inter-confessional relations. The major role is that of traditional religions, Islam and Orthodox Christianity. While the world is preoccupied with the relations of Islam and Christianity, we demonstrate the model of peaceful relations.

The opening of the Kul-Sharif Mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral in the territory of the Kazan Kremlin, to take place this summer, will become a symbol of revival of spiritual ideas.

60th Anniversary of the Victory

This year, we are celebrating the 60th Anniversary in the Great Patriotic War. The war was an arduous trial for our people. About 350,000 people did not return home in the Republic of Tatarstan. We have to keep their names in memory for ever and to provide decent living conditions to all the veterans.

1000th Anniversary of Kazan

The 1000th Anniversary of Kazan is of enormous social and political importance. The Anniversary represents the triumph of the centuries-old civilisation, recognition of unique historic mission of our land as a region of spiritual and cultural symbiosis of the East and the West.

The programme of the celebrations is being implemented by stages. Among the most important are the meeting at the highest level of member states of the Commonwealth of Independent states, the session of the State Council of the Russian Federation, many conferences and sport events.

Education

The modern world is actively transforming. The strategy of gradual adaptation to changing conditions in no way is applied to the sphere of education. Taking into account today’s state of the sphere, it will result in substantial protracting of reforms and many achievements of home education and educational culture can be irrevocably lost, and general protraction would only increase. This is the reason for Tatarstan not to copy and adjust the most progressive standards, but to become the most active participant of forming the education of the future.

Culture and Art

The purpose of development of cultural sphere is the implementation of intellectual potential, development of creative abilities of a person, and on this basis increasing the living standard of the population in the whole. The culture oriented towards development of creative principles in a human being and society is of global value for a people and a state. It is a necessary condition for achieving the level of development economy and society necessary for a decent life. That is why safeguarding home culture and art has been and remains one of the priority directions of the state policy in the republic.