Rustam Minnikhanov: Tatarstan is open for cooperation with business community of Pakistan

On March 18, at his meeting with senior managers of leading companies of Pakistan during his working visit to Lahore (the Islamic Republic of Pakistan), Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that Tatarstan is open for cooperation with business community of Pakistan.

Speaking at the meeting, Minnikhanov stressed that Tatarstan has experience of cooperation with partners from Pakestan. In particular, helicopters manufactured in Kazan were supplied to the country. Besides, the local company "Bibojee Services" assembles KAMAZ vehicles at its production facilities. In 2015, the delegation from Tatarstan took part in the meeting of the Russia-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission in Islamabad.

Minnikhanov noted that the volume of foreign trade turnover between the two republics is steadily increasing. In 2013 this figure was only 420,500 US dollars, today it makes 1,8 million US dollars, he said. Tatarstan supplies rubber, raw rubber, land vehicles, boilers, and other products to Pakistan, while tools and optical devices, clothing, and also nickel products are supplied to Kazan.

"Tatarstan is interested in strengthening business, humanitarian, educational relations with Pakistan. Today, our delegation includes heads of ministries, as well as representatives of leading enterprises of the republic. We hope that this visit will contribute to enhancing our ties and finding new areas for cooperation," Minnikhanov said.

He said that Tatarstan is one of the leading regions of Russia with developed petrochemical industry, machine-building complex and agriculture. Besides, the second year in a row, the republic becomes the leader of the national rating of the investment climate.

Minnikhanov invited Pakistan's business community to Tatarstan and added that due to the developed transport infrastructure and convenient location, the republic will become a good platform for investors from Pakistan to enter the Russian market.

Then, senior managers of companies of Pakistan briefed about their activities. Representatives of agro-industrial complex, metallurgical industry, woodworking industry, energy sector and other business areas took part in the meeting.