Rustam Minnikhanov at a plenary session “Industrial strategies of the new time”: Today Kazakhstan is one of the leading foreign partners of Tatarstan

On 25 September, speaking at a plenary session “Industrial strategies of the new time” at the business forum and the International Industrial Exhibition “INNOPROM. Kazakhstan”  held in Astana, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov thanked heads of Russian and Kazakhstan governments for the possibility to take part in events of the “INNOPROM. Kazakhstan”, for their support to implementation of joint projects and attention given to the development of inter-regional interaction.

“The origins of cooperation of Tatars and Kazakhs go back into the centuries. We are brought close by our common origin, one religion and affinity of languages and cultures. Today Kazakhstan is one of the leading foreign partners of Tatarstan. Last year our trade turnover grew by more than 20 per cent and reached 758m US dollars”, the Rais of the republic said and emphasized that during the first six months of the current year the mutual trade has already shown the growth of more than 40 per cent, making 437m US dollars.

He said that the agenda of current cooperation is rather intensive with Tatarstan companies carrying out active work in Kazakhstan, its market, for example, being historically one of the biggest and promising for KAMAZ trucks and machinery. Today there is an assembly factory in Kazakhstan, work in increasing the level of localization of the manufactured products and dealership network development as well as the establishment of car centers and staff training.

“We think that such spheres as energetics, industry and machine tool manufacture, car- vehicles-, aircraft and helicopter building , as well as car fuels, petrochemical industry, agribusiness and Halal industry are promising for cooperation with Kazakhstan,” Rustam Minnikhanov said and added he is sure that the exhibition will give a good impetus for establishment of new contacts and implementation of mutually beneficial projects which will result in strengthening the cooperation aimed at prosperity of peoples of Russia and Kazakhstan.