Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov meets Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank Nikolay Podguzov

On February 10, at the Government House of the republic, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov had a meeting with Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Nikolay Podguzov.

During the bilateral meeting, Podguzov expressed his readiness to finance investment projects of the republic, implemented jointly with Kazakhstan. Promising investment projects in industrial production, infrastructure and the development of Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ) were also discussed.

Podguzov informed Minnikhanov about his readiness to take part in financing the projects of Tatneft Oil Company implemented in Kazakhstan. In particular, it concerns the construction of a butadiene rubber plant in the Atyrau region and a tire plant in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan.

The Chairman of the Board of the EDB and Tatarstan President discussed the investment project of KAMAZ Automaker being implemented by the EDB “Development of the model range of KAMAZ vehicles and modernization of capacities for its production” and its prospects (the EDB is also a minority shareholder of the KAMAZ with a share of 3.72 per cent).

A separate issue was the development of Russia's largest special economic zone Alabuga. On December 2, 2021, during the Eurasian Congress of the EDB, a partnership agreement to finance the construction of SEZ infrastructure facilities in the next 5 years was signed. The priority is to finance the construction of the social infrastructure of the SEZ, the creation of new sites and resident projects.

Podguzov also introduced the key investment projects of the Eurasian Economic Union to Minnikhanov, including the Eurasian transport framework.

It includes the North-South and Europe-Western China transport corridors (passing through the territory of Tatarstan), in the creation of which the EDB has been actively involved both on the territory of the Russian Federation and on the territory of Kazakhstan in the past few years. 

The head of EDB announced his intention to participate in transport infrastructure development projects linking the republic with other regions of Russia and EEU countries under the construction of the Eurasian Transport Framework. It is about supporting the financing of the Moscow-Kazan, Kazan-Yekaterinburg and Shali-Bavly routes as part of the Europe-Western China transport corridor.

“Today Tatarstan is actively developing transport and logistics infrastructure, exports and international cooperation, as well as digital technologies and industrial production, including with the EEU countries. We are ready to provide comprehensive support for the development of integration and cooperation projects of Tatarstan, including financing investment projects implemented jointly with Kazakhstan. The opportunities that the EDB, as an international development institution, is ready to offer, and the expansion of our cooperation in these areas will have a high multiplier effect,” Podguzov emphasized.

Minnikhanov thanked the EDB for cooperation and support of investment projects being implemented, including in Kazakhstan. He emphasized that Kazakhstan is one of the leading economic partners of Tatarstan under Russian-Kazakh relations.