On August 28, 2007, Klaus Rohland, World Bank Director and Resident Representative in the Russian Federation, visited Kazan on official business.
During the visit, the Bank team met with Prime-Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, as well as with the RT Minister of Economy Marat Safiullin, Minister of Transport and Roads Ildus Faskhutdinov, Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Safety Ayrat Shafigullin, and other officials who were present at the meeting. In the course of the meeting, the parties discussed several key projects to be implemented in the Republic with the assistance of the World Bank, including Kazan Higher Education Diagnostic Study, Survey to Monitor Living Standards in Tatarstan, assessment of administrative barriers for investment, and Rural Roads Development Project. In addition, the parties discussed possibilities for cooperation to develop Kazan Airport.
At the meeting, the parties agreed to continue their cooperation in the area of higher education in Kazan, in particular, the Kazan State University. "Our vision is to restore the status of the Kazan State University that it had in the last century. The Kazan State University should become one of the leading higher educational institutions in the country attracting students both from Russia and abroad", said Klaus Rohland. "Also, we discussed ways to engage the private sector in designing applied educational programs for schools", he noted.
The World Bank intends to carry out the Kazan Higher Education Diagnostic Study, the objective of which is to identify key issues and provide analytical background for strategic planning and capacity building in this area. The parties are scheduled to sign an agreement to that effect by September 10.
The second issue on the agenda was the social safety network. The Bank also plans to conduct a study to monitor the living standards in Tatatstan to work out a strategy to help the poor. An agreement to that effect is expected to be signed in September, as well as an agreement to conduct an investment climate assessment in the Republic to better identify new areas for tapping the investment potential of Tatarstan and significantly strengthen its position as one of the leading investment centers in Russia.
"We will soon move ahead with the practical implementation of these three key areas of cooperation", Mr. Rohland stressed.
In the context of the Rural Road Development Project in Tatarstan, the Bank is expected to provide a loan to the Republic of Tatartsan in the amount of about 100 million euros to support the republican program. In addition to providing financing, the World Bank experts will assist the government of Tatartan in introducing cost-effective technologies and options for constructing and maintaining the road network. "The project has great social and economic value. Its implementation will promote economic growth and prosperity in the Republic", Klaus Rohland noted.
A project to reconstruct the Kazan international airport was also discussed at the meeting. "We will make a number of suggestions and recommendations on how to manage the Kazan airport", the World Bank Russia Country Director noted.
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