Roustam Minnikhanov: “We are willing to promote cooperation with Azerbaijan”

The Prime Minister of Tatarstan has today held a presentation of the Tatarstan’s economic potential for the delegation from Azerbaijan that arrived in Kazan on Monday. The delegation is led by the Azerbaijani Prime Minister Arthur Tahir ogly Rasi-Zade.

“Tatarstan and Azerbaijan has long-established and warm relations. Our sincere wish is that our cooperation in the sphere of economy and culture progressed. Presentations like this one allow better understanding and helpl establishing new contacts,” noted Roustam Minnikhanov in his welcoming remarks.

In his view, Tatarstan and Azerbaijan have quite similar economic structures. At the moment, Tatarstan produces some 32 million tons of oil, facing the task to maintain the output for the next 30 years. The main task is to refine oil on the territory of Tatarstan, to be able to retain the added value.

“Thank you for the warm reception our delegation found the first minutes we were on the land of Tatarstan. We highlight establishing ties with Russian regions. We are especially glad to see the achievements your republic has displayed,” said Arthur Tahir ogly Rasi-Zade.

He went on to say the Azerbaijan’s economy was rapidly developing and that the GDP had been doubled over 4 years. Funds generated by oil sales are placed in the Oil Fund that primarily finances the social sphere: all the 12 tent settlements for refugees and displaced residents of Nagorny Karabakh have been dismantled. Over the recent years, 1,200 new schools have been built.

The Tatarstan Economy Minister Marat Safiullin told within his speech of the republic’s economic priorities. The Construction, Architecture and Housing minister Mart Khusnullin briefed the guests on the Tatarstan’s experience of dilapidated residential housing liquidation, capital development and housing renovation.

According to him, 13 thousand builders are to be employed to construct a second oil refinery in the city of Nizhnekamsk. The project is conisdered large not only for Tatarstan but for Russia as well; its cost will be 220 billion roubles.

A low-rise satellite settlement is to be erected between Kazan and the neighbouring Zelenodolsk, which will be the largest low-rise housing construction project in Russia, its cost being 140 billion roubles.

The presentation included the special economic zone Alabuga and some of the Tatarstan’s leading companies: the automaker KamAZ, Tatneftechiminvest Holding, shipbuilder Zelenodolsk Plant and Sergo Plant.

Today, the Joint Intergovernmental Commission will within the Azerbaijani delegation’s two-day visit hold its second meeting on trade, economic, cultural, scientific and technological cooperation between the two republics.