Business partnership of two republics of Tatarstan and Iran

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Iranian Consulate-General in Kazan, and following the results of 2016, the total value of trade between Tatarstan and Iran has grown 1,6 times. Tatarstan's producers deliver fats and oil, wood products, rubber, cereal, ready-made pet food, means of land transport, optical instruments and a number of other productions to the Islamic republic. Kazan gets organic chemical compounds, fruits and vegetables, plastics from Iran.

Step by step the strategic partnership between Iran and Tatarstan is developing in the framework of Russian-Iranian relations.

Thus, on April 19-20, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov paid a working visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Tatarstan's delegation included the Head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina, as well as the leaders of large industrial enterprises of the republic.

Tatarstani-Iranian business forum (in Tehran, the capital of Iran)

Tatarstan has accumulated extensive experience in collaboration with Iran. Different official and business delegations were headed to the Islamic Republic more than once, joint business forums were held, prominent government officials of Iran, in particular the former president of Iran Mohammad Khatami, visited Kazan in different times.

On April 19, Tatarstani-Iranian business forum was held.

Tatarstan's President Rustam Minnikhanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Islamic Republic of Iran Levan Dzhagaryan, the Head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina and the representatives of large industrial enterprises of the republic and Iranian business community participated in the Forum.

Priority ways of Tatarstani-Iranian cooperation development in the sphere of trade and economy were considered at the Forum. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the "KAMAZ" company carries out its work, Kazan helicopters were delivered. PJSC "Tatneft" has a memorandum of understanding with National Iranian Oil Company on Dehloran oil field exploration.

Tatarstan is interested in supply of KAMAZ trucks, helicopters,  passenger/cargo vessels, oil products, mineral fertilizers, oil and gas producing equipment, gas transfer stations and compressors, refrigerators, food and agricultural products, medical and pharmaceutical products to Iran. 

"Tatarstan pays much attention to development of cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the frames of Russian-Iranian relations. The governments and businessmen of our countries take many efforts to expand cooperation in different spheres. For our part, we are ready to take an active part in these processes on the regional level," - Taliya Minullina said.

It is worth noting that Tatarstan actively cooperates with the Islamic world and the countries of Organization of Islamic Cooperation. On the instructions of President Vladimir Putin, the group of strategic vision "Russia - Islamic world" was created, headed by the President of Tatarstan. The group has already held two meetings, the next meeting will be held in May this year in Grozny.

In the frames of the presentation at the Forum,Taliya Minullina also noted, that the International economic summit «Russia - Islamic World: KazanSummit» is held in the capital of Tatarstan every year. The Forum became an effective site for economic cooperation between Russia and Muslim world. Last year, the site gathered over 1500 participants from more than 50 countries. The Head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency invited Iranian partners to take part in "KazanSummit" in May this year.

There is a good potential for cooperation in the spheres of culture, education, science and tourism. Tatarstan is actively developing international and foreign economic cooperation and is ready to expand interaction with representatives of business society of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Top level negotiations

On April 20, the visit of Tatarstan's delegation continued in Mashhad city, where the meeting with the Governor of Iranian Province of Razavi Khorasan Ali Reza Rashidiyan was held. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to the Islamic Republic of Iran Levan Dzhagaryan, the Head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina also attended the meeting.

The President of the Republic of Tatarstan thanked the Governor for the invitation to visit the Province of Razavi Khorasan. He highly appreciated the organization of the program of the visit of Tatarstan's delegation in Mashhad and commended for their hospitality.

In his turn, Alireza Rashidian said he is well aware of the Republic of Tatarstan. Last December, the delegation of the Province of Razavi Khorasan headed by the Deputy Governor on economic affairs Mr. Moravej Alshari visited Kazan. The representatives of Iranian region got acquainted  with the achievements of Tatarstan in the field of machine engineering, petrochemistry, innovations.

The Governor proposed to strengthen collaboration in the spheres of culture, education, technology, tourism, halal market, exhibition activities and investments.

A memorandum of trade cooperation between the governments of Tatarstan and the Islamic Republic is in effect. A number of Tatarstan's companies has already established itself in the Iranian market.

Region to region: inter-country power

Tatarstan is interested in development of multifaceted cooperation with Iranian Province of Razavi Khorasan. This was discussed during the business forum held in the framework of the visit of Tatarstani delegation to Mashhad.

The head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina presented investment potential of the republic and told about its economic climate.

"Representatives of the business sector of Razavi Khorasan are interested in Tatarstan. We expect several business delegations, including the participants of KazanSummit, very soon", - Taliya Minullina comments.

 "Today, there is a marginal growth in our trade ties. Last year, trade turnover between Tatarstan and Iran amounted to 13,3 million dollars. However, this figure is not consistent with the possibilities of our countries and our regions. In order to  develop further contact it is necessary to attract the representatives of business community more actively, to assist them in this process", - Taliya Minullina believes.

Cultural program in the south-west Asia

In addition, the delegation visited educational and cultural institutions of Mashhad.

Thus, the Head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina took part in the meeting of the President of Tatarstan Republic Rustam Minnikhanov with the chairman of Astan Quds Razavi foundation Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, a candidate for  presidency of Iran. Elections would be held in May 2017.

Astan Quds Razavi foundation is an Iranian autonomous charitable foundation, situated in Mashhad, the Province of Razavi Khorasan, playing a significant role in the city's economy. It manages the Imam Reza shrine and various institutions belonging to the organization.

Imam Reza shrine is a beautiful architectural creation. The organization of libraries, museums and the fund's Documentation center are of great interest.

Tatarstan's delegation expressed hopes for collaboration with Iranian religious leaders. Today, there are more than 20 million inhabitants in Russia, professing Islam. In Tatarstan alone, there are about 1,5 thousand Mosques.

During the conversation, special attention was given to the educational part. Bolgar Islamic academy is under construction on the territory of the ancient town of Bolgar. It is a major complex which aims to strengthen traditional forms of Islam.

Further the President of the Fund learned about economic, industrial and investment potential of Tatarstan, focusing on the leading branches of republic's economy: oil production, oil refining, petrochemistry, engineering and others.

Achievements of the meetings

Multidimensional links between Russia and Iran are developing actively. Common commitment to international law, as well as a convergence of views on a large number of key issues of global and regional agenda lie in the base of interaction.

Today, all conditions have been created for active development of cooperation between Russia and Iran at the interregional level.

"Many issues have been solved during bilateral meetings. In particular, the possibility of holding the next meeting of Russian-Iranian intergovernmental economic development commission in Tatarstan was discussed", - Taliya Minullina noted.

Also, the agreement on cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce of the Province of Razavi Khorasan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan was signed.

The Representatives of Kazan Federal University and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad signed a road map for active academic interaction.

As early as April 21, the working meeting with the participation of Acting Head of the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Kazan Alibeman Eghbali Zarch was held in Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, where bilateral cooperation was discussed.

For reference:

The Province of Razavi Khorasan (the Islamic Republic of Iran) is situated in the North-Eastern part of the country. The administrative center is Mashhad city, which is the second largest and most populous city in Iran. The province has more than 200 universities and over 6000 enterprises.

The main sectors of economy are mining industry, agriculture (wheat, barley, cotton, saffron, grapes, sugar beet, rape plant, tomatoes), food, leather, textile, footwear, automotive, electrical engineering, metallurgical, petrochemical, ceramics industries, energetics, production of building materials, automotive components and silicon, tourism and pilgrimage, transport, trade, production of oil, gas, turquoise, copper ore, gold and rock salt.

Mashhad is the second largest and most populous city in the far North-East of Iran (over 2,5 million people), the administrative center of the Province of Razavi Khorasan.

Throughout its history, Mashhad played an important role of significant political, cultural and religious center. In 818, in Sanabad village, near Tus city, the 8th Shia Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (Persian: Imam Reza), the son-in-law of Caliph Al-Ma'mun, suddenly died. Under the legend, he was poisoned by the son of the most popular Baghdad Caliphs Harun al-Rashid. The place of martyrdom (Arabic: Mashhad) of Reza is highly revered, especially by the Shia. Later, the Imam Reza shrine was built in place of the tomb. Afterwards, Sanabad village started to grow and develop during the destruction of the city of Tus, becoming the city of Mashhad. For the first time, the word "mashhad" was used as a name of the city in the 10th century by the geographer al-Maqdisi.  And in the 14th century, the traveller Ibn Battuta uses the expression "town of Mashhad al-Rida".

Mashhad is a Shia holy city.  The shrine of especially revered Iranian Imam Reza is situated in it. Every year about 27 million pilgrims and tourists visit Mashhad.