24 September 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
Russian Army Reacts To Tatarstan's Suspension
Tatarstan's State Council chairman, Farit Mukhametshin, announced at the parliamentary session on 23 September that the previous night he received a telegram from the General Headquarters of the Russian Armed Forces stating that: "The Ministry of Defense has made a decision on the redeployment of recruits from Tatarstan who have served less than six months. Until 1 October recruits will be deployed away from the Republic of Daghestan." Mukhametshin commented that "only volunteers with a service period of more than 12 months would be sent to combat operations in the future." Tatarstan's State Council suspended recruitment in Tatarstan for the Russian army on 15 September, following a report from the republic's military commissioner, Rim Mustay, stating that 43 recruits from Tatarstan had been sent to combat operations in Daghestan. The same day the State Council passed a motion resuming the recruitment in Tatarstan starting on 1 October.
KamAZ Shareholders Considering Issuing More Stock
The KamAZ auto concern is reportedly considering alternate ways of paying the some 310 million rubles of monthly interest on its debts, the republican press reported. A special meeting of KamAZ shareholders on 24 September in Moscow will consider the additional emission of 600 million shares of stock with a nominal value of 50 rubles each. The day before the meeting, Tatarstan's Cabinet of Ministers agreed to convert the 2 billion debt that KamAZ owes the republic into promissory notes, which will be converted into KamAZ shares. KamAZ said it expects to produce 6 billion rubles worth of goods in 1999 by gradually increasing the production of heavy trucks.
BMW And Alabuga Automotive Plant To Cooperate
The Britsh Rover Company, part of Bavarian Motor Works (BMW), is considering the possibility of jointly producing car engines with Tatarstan's Alabuga Automotive Plant, Tatarinform agency reported on 24 September. The first deputy head of the Alabuga offshore zone, Eric Habibullin, told the agency that "both companies are studying the Russian automotive market, looking for potential buyers of Rover engines in Russia." Habibullin said the possible annual output of the joint venture could reach 100,000 engines.
Yoldiz Islamic School Temporarily Closed
Tatarstan's Ministry of Education froze the license of Chally's Yoldiz Islamic school, the republican press reported on 24 September. Tatarstan's media has recently speculated on alleged ties between the Yoldiz school and one of its former students, Denis Saytakov, who is suspected of organizing the terrorist acts in Moscow. The Ministry of Education said the closure was not a result of the recent political stir over the school, but due to the "current state" of education there.
Compiled by Iskender Nurmi