Tatarstan President meets with Ambassador of Korea to Russia

On August 29, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov met with Ambassador of Korea to Russia Mr Wi Son Lak, who arrived in Tatarstan in connection with the All-Russia Taekwondo Tournament for the Cup of Ambassador of Korea to Russia.

"We are very pleased to welcome you at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan. This is one of the most promising industrial zones in Russia. Today we have launched the 12th plant, and  currently there are 42 registered resident-companies here. I think that your getting familiar with the working environment will allow attracting our Korean partners here," Rustam Minnikhanov said, opening the meeting.

He thanked the Ambassador for choosing Kazan to host the All-Russia Taekwondo Tournament. "Thank you for the support you gave us to hold this event, and for the development of our cooperation in the field of sports," Rustam Minnikhanov said.

Tatarstan President reminded that representatives of South Korea won 17 gold medals at the Universiade held in Kazan, and that the Korean company Hyundai became a partner of the World Student Games.

Speaking about economic cooperation, Rustam Minnikhanov said that last year the trade turnover between Tatarstan and the Republic of Korea made over 170 million US dollars, showing positive dynamics. "There are many areas for cooperation. For example, you can and should focus on engineering," Tatarstan President addressed the Ambassador.

"The cooperation in the field of education and science is also important. Universities and research centers should cooperate with each other. As many as 32 Korean students are studying at the Kazan Federal University, but we should intensify our work in this area," he added.

According to him, tourism is another promising area for cooperation between Tatarstan and Republic of Korea. “There are plenty of opportunities for our cooperation and we will make every effort to intensify our relations,” Rustam Minnikhanov assured the Ambassador.

Mr Wi Son Lak, in his turn, congratulated Rustam Minnikhanov on launching the new factory at SEZ “Alabuga”. Noting achievements of the republic in economics, the Ambassador also stressed that Tatarstan is becoming the leader in sports. According to him, Tatarstan is one of the leading Russian regions in terms of taekwondo development.

According to the Ambassador, Tatarstan and South Korean have a huge potential to cooperate in the field of tourism. He said that on January 1, 2014 the visa regime between Russia and the Republic of Korea was abolished, and, as a result, the mutual tourist flow increased by 45 per cent in Q1 2014. "Our task is to take advantage of this," he said.

Summing up, the parties agreed to see into the issues of cooperation between Tatarstan and South Korea with relevant managers.