4 November 2005
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Parliament Gives Up On Reviving Kama Alany Nuclear Power Station Project
The Tatar State Council voted on 3 November for dropping the paragraph on unfreezing the construction of the Tatar Nuclear Power Station in Kama Alany from the program of republic's socioeconomic development till 2010, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the same day. The amendment was initiated by the Tatarstan -- New Century deputy group, the parliamentary Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Use of Land, and deputies Sergei Oskolov and Aleksandr Shtanin. The program's initial variant that was passed in the first reading in September stipulated renewing construction of the station. In 1990, republic's legislature voted to freeze construction of the station, which is located on the tectonically unstable site, in reaction to strong public protests.
At the 3 November plenary session, the parliament maintained in the program the other controversial project on raising the level of the Tuben Kama Reservoir to 68 meters. The program was passed in its second reading.
Tatarstan To Have Its Own Postal Envelops
Tatarstan's postal service Tatarstan pochtasy General Director Olga Kuznetsova told a news conference on 3 November in Kazan that the company will distribute its own envelops in the republic different from ones used by the federal postal service Pochta Rossii, AK&M and intertat.ru reported the same day. The delivery cost will be much lower, Kuznetsova said. The move came in the wake of the refusal by Pochta Rossii to accept and deliver mails stamped by Tatarstan pochtasy as of 1 November. Previously, the federal postal agency Rossvyaz had contested privatization of Tatarstan pochtasy in an arbitration court claiming it violated federal law and had issued a decision to establish a network of its offices in the republic. Tatarstan pochtasy legal department head Yuldash Musin said at the same news conference that the filial network was established in violation of the federal law on postal service, under which postal facilities can be set up in federation entities only in coordination with their authority bodies while Tatarstan's government has received no proposals from Pochta Rossii on the issue.
Contractor Of Murdering Krasnyi Vostok General Director Convicted
Tatarstan's Supreme Court sentenced on 3 November businessman Boris Bulatov to 11 years of imprisonment for contracting a murder of Krasnyi Vostok general director Eibet Eibetov in February 1996, intertat.ru and Interfax reported the same day. According to investigation results, Eibetov and Bulatov, then the owner of the Sandra company, had controversies over joint production of Coca-Cola at Krasnyi Vostok. On 29 March, the Tatar Supreme Court convicted Sergei Pavlov, who pleaded guilty of killing Eibetov, for nine years of imprisonment. Bulatov was detained by Interpol in February 2004 in Spain. In June 2005, he was extradited to Russia.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova
DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
Rakhimov Explains The Meaning Of New National Holiday
This new holiday was established to acknowledge the military tradition of Russia's people, courage and heroism, as well as its ability to consolidate itself - president Murtaza Rakhimov said in his public greeting message dedicated to the Day of people's unity on 4 November, and RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported the same day. He outlined the importance of unity between different nationalities and religions which stood for defending their country.
Rakhimov emphasized the contribution of Bashkir warriors who joined Russia's army in "numerous campaigns" within last 450 years since Bashkortostan joined the Russian state.
Bashneft Looking At American Oil Market
Bashneft oil company, which is already operating a number of oil deposits in West Siberia is expected to benefit from the current efforts of the Russian government for boosting petrochemical cooperation with the United States, Bashinform reported on 4 November. The agency referred to the recent visit of Russia's minister of industry and energy sector Viktor Khristenko to the US, during which he had discussed the possible exports of Siberian gas and oil to that country. Gazprom state monopoly will reportedly headline the project, which will involve the construction of intercontinental a gas and oil pipelines.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi