Tatarstan and Agency of Strategic Initiatives conclude Agreement on cooperation

An Agreement on cooperation between the Republic of Tatarstan and the Agency of Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects (ASI) was signed today in Kazan. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and the ASI Director General Andrei Nikitin put their signatures on the document.

Creation of the Agency of Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects was initiated by the Chairman of the RF Government Vladimir Putin to support unique, socially oriented projects and initiatives of medium entrepreneurship, to render assistance to professional mobility and support young professional teams working in social sectors. Vladimir Putin is the head of Agency Supervisory Board. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov entered the board membership as well. Andrei Nikitin was appointed virtually as the ASI Chief Executive Officer.

Today Andrei Nikitin met with the Republic's businessmen in the premises of the Tatarstan Government. Prior to the meeting Rustam Minnikhanov and the Director General of the ASI signed Agreement on cooperation.

According to the Tatarstan President, promotion of new projects, improvement of business climate and creation of new jobs are essential to every region. He said Tatarstan has a serious platform for business development. As such, a network of technoparks and investment funds has been created, and new industrial parks in cooperation with major enterprises are being established in republic.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted that the Republic has to increase participation of small and medium business in Tatarstan's economy from 25 to 40-50 %. Thus, Tatarstan counts on efficient cooperation with the Agency of Strategic Initiatives.

The Director General of the ASI said Tatarstan was one of the first regions to sign the agreement on cooperation with the ASI. He explained it by “the efforts taken to improve business climate and encourage investments". "Such regions play a supporting role for the country’s economy”, - Andrei Nikitin said. He believes Tatarstan has all chances to be on the top list of investment rating of the Agency.

After signing the agreement Andrei Nikitin said the ASI would be efficiently using the Tatarstan experience when developing its own activity strategy. In addition, the ASI office is expected to open in the Republic by the end of the current year, the Agency's Director-General said.

Andrei Nikitin informed that the projects to be supported by ASI will be made public after the next session of the Agency Supervisory Board.