3 June 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Tatarstan To Purchase Iraqi Oil
Tatarstan's Tatneft oil company intends to purchase 8.2 million barrels of Iraqi oil during the sixth stage of the UN "oil for food" program, an oil information agency reported on 3 June. According to the report, the Zarubezhneft, LukOil, Mashinoimport, Rosneft, Zarubezhneftegazstroy, YuKOS, Slavneft, Gazprom, Tatneft, Sibneft, and Tumen oil companies will purchase a total of 138.7 million barrels of oil from the Iraqi state SOMO company. It has been reported that Tatneft has taken part in previous oil purchases from Iraq, but officials from Tatarstan's Ministry of Economics and Industry and Tatneft representatives have refused comment, the republican press reported.
Back Pensions Being Paid
Pension arrears in Tatarstan were reduced by 90 million rubles in May, Tatarinform reported on 3 June. Tatarstans' branch of the Russian pension fund said that all May pensions were paid and that the fund subsidized the republic with 182 million rubles so that it could pay off pensions from March and April. Tatar companies transferred 368 million rubles to help make the May pension payments.
Tatar School Opens In Bishkek
A private Tatar school opened in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on 24 May, Tatarinform reported. The opening ceremony was attended by the Russian ambassador in Kyrgyzstan, Georgii Rubens, as well as Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences member Vladimir Plotskikh. The Chulpan school was founded by the Tatar community in Bishkek. The last Tatar school in the capital was closed some 50 years ago. About 120 children are expected to attend the school's first semester in September. The Tatar community will sponsor its teachers and will provide for additional training in Kazan.
Sowing Season Completed In Tatarstan
Tatarstan's deputy minister of agriculture, Timur Khadeev, told a press conference on 2 June that after a harvest of some 500,000 hectares of winter crops, about 1.8 million hectares of spring crops were sown in the republic. Khadeev characterized the current situation with fertilizers at collective farms as "satisfactory."
Minzele Administration Head Appointed
Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiev issued a decree appointing Rustam Gaffarov as head of the Minzele regional administration. He has been acting administration head since March.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi