Who Tatarstan to take to Caspian forum

Tatarstan is going to sign a number of agreements on economic cooperation in the Caspian region

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov is to visit Turkmenistan this week — our republic is going to sign a number of agreements on economic cooperation in the Caspian region, official representative of the Kazan Kremlin Liliya Galimova said. On 8 August, several days after going back from holiday, the president repeatedly inspected the state of WorldSkills venues. President Minnikhanov was going to congratulate athletes who won a medal in international competitions and their coaches on Saturday: European Games, the Universiade in Napoli. More is in Realnoe Vremya’s report.

Ties in Caspian region

On Monday, 12 August, the president of Tatarstan is to pay a business trip to Turkmenistan to take part in the 1st Caspian Economic Forum. “Mr Minnikhanov received a personal invitation,” Galimova added.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will chair the Russian delegation. Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov, Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Sergey Ivanov and others are included in the delegation of Tatarstan. Issues of economic cooperation in the Caspian regions will be considered at the forum, the representative of the Kremlin said.

The forum will consist of three parts. The first part is The Caspian Sea International Conference, the second — Caspian Exhibition of Innovative Technologies, the third — treaties. There is going to be signed a number of documents, the speaker noted. Tatarstan is also going to sign several agreements — the president will meet with representatives of other countries, including their leaders: “Conciliation procedures are underway now, we hope it will be clear in the short run whom we managed to agree to meet with”.

“The agenda includes the creation of conditions for big projects, discussions about the role of the economy of the Caspian region in the global context, investment attractiveness, oil and gas, electrical power, transport, commerce, agro-industrial, tourism and other sectors of the economy of Caspian states who have mutual interest, but not only Caspian regions of Russia, including Tatarstan will be represented on the international exhibition.”

Conference

All events will take place in Avaza national tourist zone, it is a resort city in the east of the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea conference is aimed at strengthening the economic cooperation, Galimova said. The implementation of joint investment projects, experience exchange programmes to create special zones will be discussed: “The forum itself will take place in one of such zones of Turkmenistan”.

Exchange of experience in legislation, standards, rules and statistical information in the economic sphere as well as cooperation between regions are other goals of the conference, the speaker added. The participants will discuss the possibilities of creating joint ventures too.

After the official part, there will be an exhibition where the industrial potential of Tatarstan will be demonstrated; Minnikhanov himself will head to Turkmenbashi Complex of Oil Refineries, and directors of large enterprises of Tatarstan will go with him. It is head of Tatneft Nail Maganov, Director General of KAMAZ Sergey Kogogin, Director General of Khimgrad Ayrat Gizzatullin and others, Liliya Galimova explained to Realnoe Vremya. It is noteworthy that the delegation includes representatives of two Kukmor enterprises at once — Director General of the metal dishware plant Azat Zagidullin and Director of the felt manufacturing factory Lyalya Sharipova. Rector of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Ilshat Gafurov will also join the president.

“The factories were seriously modernised together with worldwide known technology developers who provide the manufacture of high-quality products. <…> The experience of this company will be studied — probably some groundwork will be useful for our oil refineries,” Galimova promised.

Kiyanly Polymer Plant, which is able to process 5 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year into 13 types of polymers, is the next stop on the president’s own agenda.

Readiness inspection by WorldSkills

Minnikhanov was going to start the inspection of WorldSkills venues on 8 August and hold a meeting of the committee for the readiness for the championship.

Four accreditation centres have been in operation since 1 August — head of the project WorldSkills Kazan 2019 Emil Gubaydullin told Realnoe Vremya previously. Minnikhanov was also going to check the centres, Volga Region State Academy of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism is one of them, the speaker stated. One of the centres will operate around the clock, and according to indicators, it was caused by the forecasted number of guests they will have to work with: “According to forecasts, more than 20,000 people plan to obtain accreditation during the championship”.

Representatives of key client groups — experts and participants themselves — already began to arrive in Kazan, but the main flow is planned to come this week. The guests will accommodate at Universiade Village, this facility is convenient because it is closer to Kazan Expo than all other places, the competition will be held at Kazan Expo.

“The president will see the places of accommodation, check if everything is ready, see the readiness of Kazan Expo. Competition sites are built now — it is over 60,000 square metres (the competition will include 56 skills).

Athlete’s Day was to be celebrated on Saturday. Minnikhanov was going to personally congratulate winners and medallists of international sports competitions, the event was to be in the Kremlin.

By Leysan Nabiyeva
Tatarstan