31 January 2000
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan And France To Cooperate In Defense Industry
The heads of two French defense industry companies, SDTIE and TAT'EUROPE, arrived in Kazan on 30 January for a three-day visit, Tatar-inform reported. Prospects of cooperation with Tatar defense industry enterprises are to be discussed during the talks. The visit continues relations established in October at a seminar in France hosted by the Industrial Companies Association France-Conversion, and was attended by a Tatar delegation. Tatar-inform reported, citing the Trade and Economic Cooperation Ministry press service, that the French delegation will visit the Kazan optical mechanics plant, the Sergo plant in Yeshel Uzen, and will hold talks in the ministry.
UAE Official Visits Tatarstan
Abdrakhman Abdel Khalek, an adviser to the leader of the United Arab Emirates, visited Kazan on 27 January to discuss economic cooperation, Tatar-inform reported. The same day he met with Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiev, during which. Abdel Khalek extended an invitation to Shaimiev to visit the UAE. Abdel Khalek said the UAE needs more information on the construction of the Qul Sherif Mosque in Kazan in order to consider donating money towards its construction. Tatar-inform cited Timur Akulov, an adviser on foreign economic relations to Shaimiev as saying that investments into agriculture were also discussed during the talks. He said a group of specialists is expected to come to Tatarstan in a short time for studying the prospects for investments into raising horned cattle.
Tatarstan Opens Trade Office In Finland
A trade representative office for Tatarstan was opened in Helsinki, Tatar-inform reported on 28 January. Avubaker Marzhanov, who previously worked at Russia's trade mission in Finland, was named Tatarstan's trade representative. The Finnish office is Tatarstan's 16th office abroad. Finland is among Tatarstan's top ten trading partners. It is third in trade turnover after Germany and Switzerland. Over the last nine months of 1999, trade turnover between Tatarstan and Finland was about $93 million. A delegation made up of members of Finland's Foreign Trade Association recently finished a three-day visit to Kazan in preparation for the FinBusiness-2000 economic forum scheduled to be held in Tatarstan's capital in May. The Finnish side said during talks with Tatar Trade and Economic Cooperation Minister Khafiz Salikhov that more than 60 Finnish companies and firms are going to come to the forum, among them Tikkurila paints, OY Lacquer and Paint company, the Benefon OYJ telephone company, OILTANKING SONMARIN, and the OY petrochemicals transporting company.
Tatarstan's Trade Unions Get New Leader
Tatyana Vodopyanova, 44, was elected the head of Tatarstan's Trade Unions Federation Council at a council meeting on 29 January, Tatar Radio and Television reported. Before, Vodopyanova headed the Trade and Consumer Cooperative Trade Union. Tatarstan's president, Mintimer Shaimiev, who attended the meeting and addressed its participants, supported Vodopyanova's nomination saying that there are few women in leadership roles in the republic.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova