How the pandemic has affected the close relations between Tatarstan and Kazakhstan, how the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan supported representatives of small and medium enterprises, how much trade turnover between the two republics is now – these were the key issues within the framework of another online interview, the guest of which was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation Ermek Kosherbayev. A series of online interviews are part of the year-round business online program of the International Economic Summit “Russia – Islamic World: KazanSummit” held by the Strategic Vision Group “Russia – Islamic World” in cooperation with the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Within the framework of the past interviews, Chief Executive of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan Talia Minullina has already discussed cooperation in such areas as oil refining, energy, automotive industry, IT, Islamic finance and halal industry with the Ambassadors of the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Tunisia to the Russian Federation, business representatives and the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
As Talia Minullina noted, the relations between the two republics date back to 1996, when the intergovernmental agreement was signed. It regulated the principles of trade and economic, cultural, educational and tourist cooperation.
“Today our relations with Kazakhstan have reached the interregional level, and it gives a high economic effect - nowadays there are about 40 joint companies in the Republic of Tatarstan. A lot of leading enterprises of Tatarstan, such as “Kamaz”, “Tatneft”, “Kazan Helicopters”, Zelenodolsk Shipyard and others operate in Kazakhstan. The assistance in realization of “BhB System” LLC production on manufacture of ventilation and air-conditioning equipment in the foreign markets has been discussed. On June 14 2018 the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan visited Kazan, which became a significant day in the history of relations between our republics. And today we continue consolidating our cooperation in the sphere of education and we are working with the special economic zone of Kazakhstan”, the Chief Executive of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic noted.
In his turn, in the course of the online meeting Ermek Kosherbayev spoke in more detail about the results of the long-term and productive interaction, giving a forecast for the future.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate one of the most successful regions of the Russian Federation on its centennial. I was honored to be present in Moscow at the festive events dedicated to this date, in which the President of Tatarstan took part. Already at the end of the week a large delegation from Kazakhstan, headed by the Minister of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva, arrives in Kazan”, the Ambassador said.
The fact that Kazakhstan has the second largest Tatar community abroad - more than 200 000 Tatars - also contributes to strengthening relations between the two republics in all spheres. More than 2 000 Kazakhs permanently live in Tatarstan. Referring to the long history of cooperation between the Republics of Tatarstan and Kazakhstan, we find that the Tatars and Kazakhs are kindred peoples, quite close in cultural and linguistic terms. “In the XIX century, when there was already a university in Kazan, in the period from 1877 to 1917, 37 Kazakhs studied in the Kazan University. 20 of them successfully completed their studies (15 became qualified lawyers, and another 5 - physicians). This indicates that already at that time there was a full exchange, including the human resources. And today there is a variety of different programs in the sphere of education, according to which a lot of Kazakh students get higher education in Russia in those professions that are in demand in Kazakhstan”.
“Our relations are developing on a long-term basis. Thus, over the last 5 years, Kazakhstan has been one of the 10 main external trade partners of Tatarstan. Both our republics are interested in bringing the volume of trade turnover to $1 billion a year (now it is more than 700 million)”, the Ambassador added.
Speaking about joint large-scale events, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation separately noted the high organization and quality training of methodology of coronavirus treatment by Russian doctors of their Kazakh colleagues.
“At the end of July, doctors from Tatarstan came to the territory of East Kazakhstan region and provided indispensable support and assistance during hard times for us all. On behalf of the entire Republic, I would like to express sincere gratitude to the leadership of both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan for the decision to help the brotherly people in the treatment of patients with the coronavirus infection. From our part, we did our best to facilitate the departure of more than 60 doctors. The exchange of experience with Russian doctors was possible due to the relatively efficient system of counteraction to the pandemic that had been developed in Russia in a relatively short time. We tried to adopt that experience and I hope it was successful. I would like also to highlight that our countries historically come to the aid of each other. “The strength of the bird is in the wings, the strength of man is in his friends” – a Kazakh proverb says. Friendship between our states gives us wings and inspires new achievements aimed at the development of our peoples”, Kosherbayev said.
Undoubtedly, now all the countries are in a difficult economic and social situation. The pandemic has affected both domestic politics and trade relations with other countries. However, as trade representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation Nurlan Borambaev noted, the Republic of Tatarstan is traditionally one of the leading regions of the Russian Federation in terms of key macroeconomic indicators.
“In general, the trade turnover between the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Kazakhstan has amounted to more than 7 billion dollars over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, the pandemic, which made its adjustments in our relationship, led to a decrease in trade turnover for the first half of this year. But according to the forecast given by our specialists, by the end of the year we will have witnessed positive changes. Speaking about the positive side of the current situation in the world, the pandemic has increased Internet sales, food retail and demand for IT-sphere and for delivery services. Interestingly, there is also an increased demand for legal services and fitness products. As far as providing additional financial resources for lending working capital of small and medium enterprises is concerned, this year about 2 trillion tenge will be allocated. We have a road map of employment, which provides, in addition to stimulating business and providing certain tax benefits, the creation of additional jobs (about 200 000). Lump sum payments were organized for socially vulnerable segments of the population”.
Summing up the long-term mutually beneficial cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia as a whole, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary drew attention to the results that the two countries have achieved in recent years.
We cooperate very closely in oil and gas industry, production and processing, transportation of hydrocarbons. Recently, Russian EuroChem Company launched a project to develop the Kara Tau phosphate deposit and build an innovative mineral fertilizer plant. Thus, while all countries are curtailing investment activity, investment volumes declining everywhere during the pandemic, Russia and Kazakhstan are demonstrating a good example of good relations and mutually beneficial cooperation. It is assumed that the work of the abovementioned chemical enterprise will significantly strengthen integration business ties between our states, as well as will contribute to the improvement of food security of our country and the growth of social and economic development of Southern Kazakhstan. In addition to it, at the end of July, the agreement on launching a car tire production facility by Tatneft Company in Kazakhstan was signed. A road map for tire production was signed in Nizhnekamsk, and in Naberezhnye Chelny, KAMAZ’s management discussed with the Kazakhstani governmental delegation the project for construction of a cast iron casting plant”, Ermek Kosherbayev noted.
Ilmira Gafiyatullina