President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov visits “Ford Otosan” plant in Turkish Republic
6 September 2011, Tuesday
On September, 6 President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov has visited plant “Ford Otosan” in Kocaeli (Turkey).
Rustam Minnikhanov was accompanied by RT Minister of industry and trade Ravil Zaripov, Director of Department for external relations - Aide to RT President on international issues Iskander Muflikhanov, Plenipotentiary of Tatarstan in Turkish Republic Radik Gimatdinov, Chairman of Directors board of JSC “SEZ “Alabuga” Timur Shagivaleev.
Greeting guests from Tatarstan member of Directors board of «Ford Motor Company» - Director general of «Ford Otosan» Nuri Otay thanked President of Tatarstan for the visit and briefly presented the plant.
“Ford Otosan” produces commercial minibuses and “Ford” lorries, engines and transmissions on the territory of Turkey. Currently 7860 people work on the plant, 2040 of them are highly skilled specialists. According to Nuri Otay the staff of plant is especially proud of minibuses Ford - Ford Transıt and Ford Transıt Connect. Volume of output makes 320 000 minibuses per year. The company plans to reach the number of 400 000 units per year.
Rustam Minnikhanov was interested in output of engines for lorries at “Ford Otosan”. Nuri Otay informed that output of engines in Turkey make 66 000 units. The company also receives a part of engines from England.
Except for producing minibuses and lorries “Ford Otosan” sells “Ford” cars produced in Europe. In Turkey “Ford” cars take 10 % of the automobile market.
Rustam Minnikhanov inspected welding and foundry workshops of the plant where main production work is accomplished by robots. RT President also saw assembling and painting workshops.
Rustam Minnikhanov left notes in Book of distinguished guests.
On 9 May Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin took part in a ceremony of laying flowers to the monument “The victorious soldier” dedicated to the celebrations of the Day of Victory in the Great Patriotic War (WW II) 1941-1945 and held at Arsk cemetery in Kazan.
On 8 May, speaking at a meeting held by the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov in the Government House of the republic with participation of the Acting Chairman of the State Council of the republic Marat Akhmetov and the regional Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin, the Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing Utilities Sector of the republic Marat Ayzatullin reported that capital overhaul of social facilities is in full swing in the republic with 170 educational facilities having been included into regional and federal programmes.
On 4 May at a briefing held in the Tatarstan Government House it was told that currently there are 92 combat veterans, the last witnesses of the Great Patriotic War (WW II) of 1941-1945, living in the republic. The briefing also informed about veterans’ support measures and how the republic is planning to celebrate the Victory Day on 9 May.
The Deputy Prime Minister of the republic Leyla Fazleeva told that names of 353 Heroes of the Soviet Union from Tatarstan “ are immortalized in street names, on memorials, in monuments and squares and, of course, in our memory”. “The Victory Day is the day of memory, mourning and joy. It is the event which today should be clearly understandable to all young people and younger generation of Tatarstan,” she said.
On 24 April, upon his arrival to the Kazan International Airport, the Defense Minister of China Dong Jun was welcomed by Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin, representatives of the General Consulate of China in Kazan and other officials