Rustam Minnikhanov answers questions of Kazan pupils

On September 9, Interim President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov met with upper-form pupils of the school №146 in Kazan.
The pupils asked Rustam Minnikhanov about his criteria for choosing people for his team, and his favourite subjects at school.

Rustam Minnikhanov answered that he had worked as an engineer, power engineer, and in the sphere of consumer cooperation. “You are so young and you should try working in different spheres. Working in senior positions should not be your main goal. Everything will come in due course. Being the best in your sphere and being able to work in a team are more important things,” he said.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted that mathematics, physics and chemistry were his favourite subjects at school. “We live in an oil-producing region, and I regret that I did not study chemistry after school properly. Now I am trying to fill these gaps,” he added.

Also, Minnikhanov recommended learning foreign languages as it is a good competitive advantage. “If you ever have an opportunity to work abroad you will definitely need to know a foreign language,” he said.

Answering the question about Western sanctions against Russia, Rustam Minnikhanov said: “They want us to be isolated, and it is very bad. We need technologies and the access to cheap financial resources. We will not be able to deal with this situation without reforming the current economic system, which is based on raw materials of the country. Of course, we should develop high technologies, engineering and agricultural industry. We are a powerful petrochemical country. At the same time, a lot of polymers are imported from abroad. In the USSR we used to hold leading positions in oil production.”