18 July 2000
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan's Muslims To Attend Euro-Asian Islamic Congress
A delegation of Tatarstan-s Muslims will participate in the Fourth Congress of the Euro-Asian Islamic Council, which will take place in Sarajevo on 25-28 July, Tatar-inform reported. An invitation to attend the Congress was sent to Tatarstan's Mufti Gusman khazrat Iskhakov by the head of International Relations Department of the Turkish Religious Affairs Ministry, Yusuf Kalkan. Gusman khazrat will give a paper on the history of Islam dissemination between the peoples (on the history of the spread of Islam among the peoples?) of the Russian Federation and the inter-confessional dialogue between Islam and Orthodoxy in Tatarstan. The aim of the Congress, according to the invitation is to rally support for common activities aimed at meeting religious needs.
Agricultural Output Decreases In Tatarstan
The results of the work of agricultural enterprises in the first half of the year were discussed on 17 July at a republican meeting convened by Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev and attended by heads of district and city administrations, ministries, and departments, Tatar Radio reported. Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture and Foodstuffs Minister Marat Akhmetov told the meeting that diary production reduced by 13 percent in the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year, while meat production was down by 6 percent and the number of livestock fell owing to difficulties caused by the lack of feed. Shaimiev said that in the first half of this year, industrial production grew by 9 percent, construction by 19 percent, and house-building by 30 percent. He said that residents' income increased by 19 percent, while republican revenues (yes?) in the first six months of this year totaled 20 billion rubles.
Government Discusses Road Construction And Transport Network Development
A program of road construction and transport network development over the next five years topped the agenda of a Cabinet of Ministers meeting on 17 July, Tatar Radio reported. According to the program, 820 kilometers of road will be constructed annually. It was revealed at the meeting that most of the transport companies in the republic are unprofitable owing to old vehicles in (or the shrinking size of) their fleets. The program of transport development includes restructuring existing transport companies. Three hundred new buses are scheduled to be purchased this year from the Likino and Pavlovo plants, which assemble vehicles using KamAZ-produced spare parts. This year's republican budget allocates 325 million rubles for purchases of means of transport.
By Gulnara Khasanova