18 April 2001
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan Ready to Help Manage Assistance to Other Regions
Tatarstan State Council chairman Farit Mukhametshin told strana.ru on 17 April that Kazan is ready to help ensure effective control over assistance to other regions. As a donor region, he said, Tatarstan is in a position to do this.
Tatarstan Deputy on Duma Coordinating Board
Duma Deputy (Russia's Regions) Oleg Morozov will serve on the new four-party coordinating council, Efir television reported on 17 April. He said that the center had to get organized since the left and right already have.
Young People Urge Rapid Introduction of Latin Script
"Vremya i Dengi" reported on 18 April that the Young Tatar Intellectuals Club has written the government urging a speeding up of the introduction of the Latin script to improve Tatar access to computers.
Muslims Have Most Congregations in Tatarstan
Religious Affairs Board chairman Rinat Nabiyev said that there are 966 religious organizations in the republic, of which 804 are Muslim, 144 Orthodox Christian, and 39 Protestant.
Fuel Leak Polluting Local Rivers
Some 10 tons of diesel fuel polluted the Kama and Kileu rivers near Chistay, the emergencies ministry reported on 17 April.
Tuben Kama to Rename Main Square
Tuben Kama City Council deputies on 17 April called on the mayor to rename the city's main square, now called the 50th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution after the first director of the Tuben Kama company, Nikolai Lemaev.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi
DAILY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN
Federal Official Sees Religion Growing in Republic
In his interview with polit.ru on 17 April, the deputy presidential envoy to Volga administrative district Vladimir Zorin said that the government will continue to address nationality problems despite the abolition of the nationality line in the passport. At the same time, he said that religious identifications are likely to intensify as ethnic ones decline.
Bashkortostan to Look for Oil on Sakhalin
Bashkortostan has signed an agreement with Alpha-Eco group to jointly explore and extract oil in Sakhalin, RFE/RL's Ufa correspondent reported on 17 April.
Unity Branch Leader Enthusiastic about Merger
Unity party branch leader in Bashkortostan Ismagil Gabitov told aromi.ru on 17 April that he welcomes the combination of Unity and Fatherland movements. He said that it will allow Bashkortostan to play "a more active role" both in the republic and in Russia as a whole.
Only One Baby in Seven Delivered in Healthy Condition
According to Bashkortostan�s health ministry, only one baby in seven was delivered in a healthy condition in 2000.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi