On February 5, at their meeting at the Kazan Kremlin, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim Masimov discussed that Kazakhstan is interested in Tatarstan experience in the field of oil production, refining and petrochemical industry, natural gas vehicles, while Tatarstan is interested in the experience of Kazakh partners in the banking sector, particularly in Islamic banking, as well as in international cooperation, including with China.

Welcoming members of the Kazakhstan delegation, Minnikhanov noted that over the past years contacts between Kazakhstan and Tatarstan as one of the regions of Russia have strengthened greatly. He reminded that in 2014 he visited Kazakhstan three times, including the interregional forum in Atyrau, where an agreement on cooperation with Kyzylorda and Atyrau regions was signed. Then, Days of Tatarstan in Kazakhstan (September 2014) were held at a high level in the republic.

"Kazakhstan is one of the leading trade partners of Tatarstan. A good foundation for strengthening our relations has been provided,” Minnikhanov said.

According to Tatarstan President, such spheres as economics, petrochemical industry, mechanical engineering, automotive, helicopter, shipbuilding, energy, agriculture, information technology have a huge potential for cooperation.

Karim Masimov thanked for the opportunity to get acquainted with the activity of industrial enterprises and innovative sites in Kazan which members of the Kazakhstan delegation visited today. According to him, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan attaches great importance to the development and strengthening of relations with the Russian Federation and its regions.

“We have set a good pace of our relationship and now it is important to keep it up,” he said.