2 March 2001
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Federal Inspector Praises Religious Harmony
Chief federal inspector in Tatarstan Marsel Galimardanov on 1 March said that there is no stribe among the republic's religious groups or between them and the state, Tatar-Inform reported. He noted that the growth in the number of Russian Orthodox parishes from 13 to 150 in a predominantly Muslim area could only be a cause for respect.
HIV Infections Rise Dramatically
Oleg Romanenko, the republic AIDS prevention center head, said on 1 March that the number of people infected with HIV had tripled in Kazan over the last three months to a total of 183 and in the republic as a whole it had grown from 400 to 1700. He blamed the rapid rise on drug use.
Profitable Kazanorgsintez Pays High Wages
Kazanorgsintez general manager Nail Yusupov on 1 March said that his company had increased production to 6.5 billion rubles ($227 million) over the last year and that the company is now paying its workers an average of 5397 rubles ($188) a month, Tatar-inform reported. President Mintimer Shaimiev called both of these figures "excellent," but he said he was concerned about the company's worn out infrastructure and promised to help with government funds.
Tatneft Issues Bonds
Moscow's Zenit bank officials on 1 March said that 200 million rubles ($7 million) worth of Tatneft bonds will be introduced on the Moscow inter-bank stock exchange on 7 March, Tatar-inform reported. Yevgeny Tikhturov, the Tatneft finance board head, said that the company will use the money raised to build an oil processing plant, to conduct mining operations in Kalmykia, Iraq, China and Vietnam, and to produce tires.
Tatarstan Leads in Subscriptions Per Capita
Press minister Zilya Valeeva said on 1 March that Tatarstan is a leader in periodical subscriptions per capita with 616 copies per 1,000 people per year. Bashkortostan is a close second with 568 copies per 1,000. She said that the number of copies printed had risen by four percent last year.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova
DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
Ufa Proposes Amendments To Federal Laws
The bilateral harmonization commission of Bashkortostan and the Volga Federal District on 1 March proposed the Duma amend 12 federal laws including legislation on power sharing and foreign investments, civil, budget, and tax codes, aromi.ru reported.
Moscow Unhappy With Ufa Passport Version
The Russian passport-visa board on 1 March said that it had returned the draft insert page of the new Russian passport designed to the republic for revision, strana.ru reported. The federal body said that introduction of a space for reflecting bearer's nationality is unacceptable because no such entry is allowed.
Agreement With Saxony Extended
The State Assembly has prolonged until June 2004 the 1992 financial protocol between the governments of Germany's Saxony and Bashkortostan, Bashinform reported on 1 March, Bashinform reported.
Bashkortostan, Chelyabinsk Oblast To Boost Cooperation
The Days of Bashkortostan and Chelyabinsk oblast economics and culture have opened in Magnitogorsk, ITAR-TASS reported on 1 March. Chelyabinsk Governor Petr Sumin and Bashkortostan Prime Minister Rafael Baidavletov praised the developing cooperation of the two federation entities in industry, construction, trade, and nature protection.
Museum Gets Picture Back
A Bashkortostan interior official told ITAR-TASS on 1 March that his institution had returned to the Ufa Nesterov museum a painting by Nikolai Rerikh found recently in St. Petersburg after being stolen a year ago.
Bashkortostan Creates Life Squads
Civil defense and emergency situations minister Marat Magdeev on 1 March said that the establishment of an emergency, life-saving service in the republic last year was a major achievement of his ministry, Bashinform reported.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova