27 September 1999
DAILY REVIEW FROM TATARSTAN
KamAZ Debts To Be Paid Off With Stock
Tatarstan's Finance Ministry and officials from the KamAZ truck concern signed an agreement on 26 September for the conversion of KamAZ's 2 billion ruble ($80 million) debt to the republican budget into stock shares, Tatar-inform reported. In accordance with the agreement, KamAZ's other debts to Tatarstan's government, including the budget subsidies and the debts to non-budget funds, will be covered in the same way. The KamAZ deputy general manager in charge of economics and finances, Ildar Khalikov, said in an interview with Tatar-inform that the Tatarstan government is the first of the concern's creditors to have signed such an agreement. He said that similar documents are expected to be concluded with other creditors in near future. He added that all of KamAZ's debts--with the exception of the one to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development--will be restructured by the end of the year.
Chechen Official: Civilians Killed During Air Attacks
Chechnya's plenipotentiary representative in Tatarstan, Umar Ayupov, said in an interview with Tatar-inform on 24 September that some 200 civilians have been killed as a result of the air attacks made by Russia's federal military on Chechen territory. Ayupov made said the strikes by the Russian Air Force on the Grozny airport last week resulted in the destruction of the only aircraft in Chechnya, an AN-2. Ayupov said that no stocks of weapons were near the airport.
Tatarstan's Religious Leaders Against Extremism
Tatarstan's religious leaders made an appeal to the republican residents on the struggle against crime, and political and religious extremism in connection with the recent terrorist bombings in Russia. The heads of Tatarstan's Muslims, the Orthodox Church, Jews, Lutherans, and other confessions say in the appeal that terrorism has neither an ethnic nor religious identity. It is said in the document that the aggressive religious practice of Wahhabism is foreign to Tatarstan's Muslims, and said that Tatarstan's peoples have always lived in harmony. The religious leaders ask the republican authorities not to allow any form of extremism to be shown in society.
Tatenergo Gets New Chief
The press service of Tatarstan's government reported on 25 September that Ilshat Fardiev has been appointed as the general manager of Tatarstan's energy monopoly Tatenergo. Fardiev previously served as the administration head of the Elmet district. Tatenergo's former head, Rasim Khaziakhmetov, was nominated to be the first deputy general manager in charge of the financial and property branch.
Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova