Rustam Minnikhanov at the Yangtze-Volga Cooperation Council: We are happy that the meeting is being held in the capital of our republic for the first time

On 21 May in his welcoming speech to the participants of a meeting of the Interregional Yangtze-Volga Cooperation Council held by the Russian Presidential Envoy in the Volga region Igor Komarov and the Deputy Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Zhang Guoqing  with participation of the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Government Marat Khusnullin at the Kazan City Hall,  the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov stated that for more than its ten year history such format has proved itself to be one of the most efficient mechanisms for the interregional interaction of Russia and China.

This is confirmed by the growing number of agreements and joint investments projects and cooperation in the humanitarian sphere including that of the Yangtze-Volga universities association.

“Our meeting is a good opportunity to summarize work results, exchange opinions about projects implementation and to set priorities for the future. We are happy that the meeting for the first time is held in the capital of our republic,” he said.

According to Rustam Minnikhanov the republic has gained serious results in the development of ties with China within the framework of friendly Russia-China relations as there is the growing trade turnover between the republic and China which made 3.3bn dollars US last year, having increased by 9 per cent, and the amount of Chinese investments attracted to the republic is nearly 39m dollars.

”It  was a great honor for us to welcome the high Chinese delegation headed by the Chairman of China Mister Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in October last Year,” the Rais of the republic said and informed that there is the General Consulate of China in Kazan and the economic representative office of Tatarstan in Beijing.

“We implement a number of joint investments projects with Chinese partners, the largest of them being the Haier Company which has built already six plants here. Tatarstan also tries to make its contribution into the work of the Yangtze-Volga Council and we have signed agreements on cooperation with five Chinese provinces of the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Last month I headed a delegation on a working trip to Chongqing where we reached an agreement to interact in the broadest range of spheres,” Rustam Minnikhanov said and reminded that since 2015 Kazan and Chengdu (Sichuan) are twin cities and on 2023 Kazan and Hefei (Anhui Province) signed an MOU on deepening cooperation and exchanges.

Having told about the industrial capacity of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized that Tatarstan has large opportunities for working with China and they should be used more.

He also said that the signed agreements should no remain only on paper but there should be concrete activities plans for their implementation.  “We have all necessary infrastructure and preferences the aim of which is to incentivize interest to the establishment of joint ventures. Moreover it is necessary to use new logistics opportunities including the largest logistics center in Russia at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone and to consider the issues of establishing direct air flights between our cities,” Rustam Minnikhanov said.

The participants of the meeting were shown a video about the International Forum ROSTCKI: Russia and China – mutually beneficial cooperation” held in Kazan since 2023 and the Rais of the republic invited participants of the meeting to take part in the next forum to be held in Kazan on 18-19 August of the current year.

After the end of the meeting, the Deputy Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Zhang Guoqing, who is the Chairman of the Chinese part of the Yangtze-Volga Cooperation Council, got acquainted with an exposition dedicated to history and culture of China organized in the lobby of the Kazan City Hall and demonstrating coins, etches and other unique objects.