President of Russia Vladimir Putin believes that Head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov should run for this post again in the upcoming elections.
“I know they [Minnikhanov’s powers] are expiring. Tatarstan is the leader among all the subjects of the Federation in terms of basic indicators. All this was achieved as a result of your work at the Head of the Republic. Therefore, I will certainly support your nomination as a candidate for the post of the Head of the Republic for the next term”, the Head of the state addressed the Head of Tatarstan on Wednesday at a bilateral working meeting via video conference.
The President thanked Minnikhanov for the previous period and wished him success in the next period. “We will be in touch”, Putin promised. Minnikhanov thanked the Head of the state for his trust.
Employment issue
The President also instructed Minnikhanov to pay special attention to the number of temporarily unemployed people.
“The issue of social character is the increasing number of temporarily unemployed people. Special attention should be paid to this. Please, bear this in mind”, Putin instructed.
The President of the Russian Federation promised that attention will be paid to this issue at the federal level as well. “In the nearest future I will hold a special meeting on this issue. But special attention should also be paid at the regional level, including the republican one”, he concluded.
Minnikhanov invited Putin to celebrate the centenary of the Republic’s foundation, which will be held on August 30
“This year, solemn events have been planned to celebrate the centenary of our Republic’s foundation. The main celebration will take place on Republic Day – August 30. I invite you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, to visit our holiday, because as much as you have done for our Republic for 20 years is just innumerable”, Minnikhanov said.
Putin discussed with Minnikhanov the celebration of Eid al-Fitr
Putin recalled that there is a tradition in Tatarstan where Muslim neighbours go to celebrate Christian holidays with their Orthodox neighbours, and where Christian neighbours celebrate Muslim holidays together with their friends who practice Islam.
“It is a very good tradition, a wonderful one, but now there is a special situation. Yesterday we spoke about it in sufficient detail with the leadership of Dagestan. How are you planning to hold these holidays?” Putin said.
Minnikhanov noted that no events are planned in the region. “Now, it is the time when we should take care of each of us. Therefore, all these holidays will be held, but everybody will celebrate them at home. I also will do it at home. We fully support your position in this matter”.
The President specified whether religious figures support this approach.
“We had a conversation a long time ago. We do not have any discrepancies here, Vladimir Vladimirovich”, the Head of Tatarstan said.
“This is very good”, Putin noted.
Putin praised Tatarstan for the work against the coronavirus
“You have done a lot of very good work against the coronavirus. It brings real results and makes it possible to open the economy. This is really great. Thank you for this”, Putin said.
The Ministry of Transport will consider supporting the completion of the ring road in Kazan
During his conversation with the Head of the state, Minnikhanov noted that the cost of erecting the last launch complex of this ring road in Kazan is estimated at 5 billion rubles, and asked for support for the project.
“I will definitely give such an order to the Ministry of Transport. And then work it through together with them, please”, Putin said.
The Big Kazan Ring is a highway for passing and redistribution of transport approaches at the entrance to the city centre. The project is being implemented since 2010. In 2020, federal funding in the amount of 490 million rubles was allocated for the construction of the section of the Big Kazan Ring under the national project “Safe and Quality Highways”.
Minnikhanov asked Putin to expand preferential loan programmes for paying salaries
Minnikhanov asked Putin to expand his preferential wage lending programme for the real sector, whose income fell by more than 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“At this stage, in order to revive the economy and stimulate domestic demand, I propose to extend support measures to all enterprises in the real sector, where there is a decline in income by more than 30%. We ask you to consider the possibility of preferential programmes for these enterprises to pay salaries at 0% and 2% with subsequent debt cancellation”, Minnikhanov said.
Minnikhanov also asked to equate Tatarstan with the Moscow Region and Saint Petersburg in terms of mortgage loans to provide credit holidays from 2 to 3 million rubles.
The Cabinet of Ministers will study complaints about restrictions on Russian petrochemical products on foreign markets
Putin asked Minnikhanov to prepare a report on restrictive measures of other countries faced by petrochemical and oil refining enterprises of Tatarstan, so that the issue could be resolved at the level of the Russian government.
“It is difficult to promote our production for export, the domestic market is open, and our Western partners, unfortunately, introduce duties and restrictive measures”, Minnikhanov complained, adding that he intends to apply to the Russian government for the necessary support measures.
“You have mentioned that foreign partners are introducing restrictive measures in trade. You will report back to me in detail later”, Putin said.
“It is on plastics and rubber. I will write everything in detail: where and which countries”, Minnikhanov answered.
“Yes, please do so that we can respond at the government level”, added the Russian President.
About the Head of Tatarstan
On February 4 of the year 2010, the State Council unanimously approved Minnikhanov’s candidacy for a position of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan. The inauguration ceremony took place on 25 March the same year. On March 24, 2015, due to the expiration of Rustam Minnikhanov’s term of office, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed him Acting Head of the Republic of Tatarstan. On September 13, 2015, on the polling day, Rustam Minnikhanov won the presidential election (he was nominated by the Party “United Russia”) with 94.40% of the votes. His closest rival, CPRF candidate Hafiz Mirgalimov, received 2.56%. On September 18 of the same year, Rustam Minnikhanov officially took office.
The source: TASS, Ria Novosti
The photo: the official website of the President of the Russian Federation