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Tatar-Bashkir Report: August 8, 2001


8 August 2001
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan Lost Two More Persons In Chechnya
The militia detachment from Tatarstan that has been serving in Gudermes since the beginning of July lost two of its servicemen on 3 August, Tatar-inform reported on 6 August. Captain Vladislav Dolgov, 31, and warrant officer Igor Shimarin, 28, were killed by an explosion when they cleared an automobile of mines. They were buried in Kazan and Yeshel Uzen on 7 August.

Government Seeks To Raise Average Wage To $300 In Four Years
Economy and Industry Minister Sergei Kogogin said that the average salary in Tatarstan must total $300 by 2005, Efir-inform reported on 7 August. The average salary in industry is currently 2,983 rubles ($100). Kogogin's comments came at a cabinet meeting on 6 August that discussed a strategy for the republic's development for next five years. Kogogin said that raising the living wage of the population must be the top principle of state policy in Tatarstan. He said that Tatarstan has the fourth largest volume of industrial production in the Russian Federation and leads the Volga Federal District in terms of social-economic development. The government has said that it will support only efficient manufacturers that have proved their ability to compete on the international market, including producers of oil and oil products, helicopters, aircraft, chemicals, tire, polythene, furs, furniture and timber products, beer and alcohol.

Tatarstan Received More Investments
The Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation Ministry said on 6 August that foreign investments in Tatarstan's economy totaled $175.3 million during the first half of the year, or 3.8 times more than during the first six months of 2000, Tatar-inform reported. Foreign trade turnover fell over this period by 19.6 percent to $1 billion, with exports falling from 89 to 83.5 percent and imports increased from11 to 16.5 percent.

Registration Of Businesses Simplified
The presentation of a new office where businessmen will be able to perform all the numerous procedures necessary to register businesses was held in Kazan on 6 August, Tatar-inform reported. President Mintimer Shaimiev said that the concept of property must be sacred both for the authorities and for owners. The measure, which was envisaged in a recent presidential decree on support for business, will allow businessmen to register new bussinesses within two weeks. Previously, it took them at least several months to do so.

KamAZ Boosts Production...
KamAZ increased its production sales during seven months of the year by 11 percent to 9.27 billion rubles compared to the same period a year ago, strana.ru reported on 6 August.

...While Its Foundry Disconnected From Gas Mains
Chelnygaz cut off the mains gas supply to the KamAZ foundry for several minutes, nearly damaging its equipment, Efir-inform reported on 7 August. Chelnygaz official Fauziya Shevchenko said that the measure was caused by the fact that KamAZ exceeded its gas quotas, and was intended to prevent loss of gas supplies to other consumers. But the sides settled the issue and the delivery of gas to KamAZ was resumed.

Polytechnical Institute Lecturer Sentenced For Bribery
Chally customs inspector Rashid Baryev, who also taught at the Kama Polytechnical Institute, has been sentenced to 7 years of conditional imprisonment and confiscation of property for bribery, Efir-inform reported on 6 August. He sold his students tests provided with replies (see "RFE/RL Tatar/Bashkir Report," 3 August 2001).

First Signs In Latin Script Introduced In Kazan Streets
Signs in Latin Tatar script have appeared in several streets of Kazan's historic Kazanskii Posad district, Efir-inform reported on 6 August. The prefecture officials said that all street names will be replaced with those in Latin script by the end of the month and that it will cost the city administration 40,000 rubles ($1380).

Kazan Authorities Spent 6.5 Million Rubles To Fight Cholera
The Kazan administration has allotted 6.5 million rubles ($224,000) to fight cholera, Efir-inform reported on 6 August. More than 60 patients were hospitalized including 34 children under the age of 14. Russian chief sanitary doctor Gennadii Onishchenko said that the most urgent task is to prevent the spread of cholera among schoolchildren who will soon return to Kazan from vacation. He added that he is leaving Kazan for Lensk on 7 August.

By Gulnara Khasanova

DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
Tenth Anniversary Of Bilateral Treaty Between Ufa, Kazan
The treaty on friendship and cooperation between Bashkortostan and Tatarstan was signed ten years ago, on 16 August 1991, Bashinform recalled on 7 August. Tatarstan was the second neighboring region where Bashkir diaspora live, after Chuvashia, to conclude such an accord with Bashkortostan. Later Ufa signed similar agreements with Orenburg and Chelyabinsk oblasts. The documents were intended to serve national-cultural needs and develop ties between the peoples of Bashkortostan and their compatriots.

There was criticism of treaties between federation subjects, including accusations of "elements of separatism and egoism." But now their positive influence on the development of the country is obvious, the agency commented. The treaties have provided the judicial and political ground for the development of direct economic ties and cultural cooperation between Russia's regions. The agency cited Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev as saying that Tatarstan and Bashkortostan are "two wings of the same bird," and stressing the historical relationship and current brotherhood of the two peoples. The political tandem of the two republics' leaders seriously influences developments in the country, the agency noted, adding that Bashkortostan and Tatarstan over the past decade performed a special function of stabilization in Russia.

Invalids From Force Bodies Unite
A public organization of invalids who served previously in security bodies, law enforcement bodies and frontier troops was set up in Bashkortostan, Bashinform reported on 7 August. Pavel Tarakanov, the organization's chairman, told the agency that the body aims to provide invalids with vouchers for sanatoriums, invalid carriages, medicines that they are unable to buy themselves. The organization will attract funds from sponsors and will arrange business projects, he said.

Construction Growth Reported
The Construction, Architecture and Roads Ministry said on 7 August that investments in the construction sector increased during the first six months of the year by 10 percent to 12 million rubles compared to the previous year, Bashinform reported. The ministry said it built 5,100 apartments during that period, or 35 percent more than a year ago.

By Gulnara Khasanova
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