.Russia's contacts with Islamic world have good perspectives.

KAZAN, Tatarstan, June 30 (Itar-Tass) - Tatarstan and the whole of
Russia have good prospects for developing ties with the Islamic world,
according to the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
"Everything that we do today to develop contacts with the Islamic
world has a big future. The Russian leadership understands this, and gives
support to these undertakings in every possible way," Minnikhanov said at
a reception in the Kazan Kremlin, which was given on Tuesday in honour of
the ambassadors of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Russia. They had
attended the 11th International forum of Islamic business and finance in
Kazan.
Minnikhanov said that ties between the Arab countries and Tatarstan
were getting closer and that investments and business were coming into the
republic. The first steps have already been made. A second large-scale
economic forum has been held in Tatarstan. The Tatarstan international
investment company was formed. Russia's first logistics centre for the
transhipment of pure Islamic products has begun operation in Kazan.
Tatarstan cooperates with 42 members of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference. The republic's annual trade turnover with the Islamic
world has increased from 93 million to three billion dollars in recent
years. That accounts for 23% of the republic's foreign trade volumes.
At the same time, President Minnikhanov said that Tatarstan should
upgrade its relations with Muslim countries and bring them to a
qualitatively new level.
" I agree that it's necessary to develop trade and economic relations,
make investments in Russia's economy, develop cultural and scientific ties
and find points of contact in developing tourism," said Kuwait's
Ambassador to Russia, Nasser Hadji Ibrahim Al-Muzayan.
The Islamic forum opened in Kazan on June 26 with an exhibition of
traditional Islamic goods. The participants in sessions and roundtable
meetings that were held on its sidelines discussed ways of using Islamic
investments as a resource for the modernization and diversification of the
Russian economy. They studied the experience of Luxemburg, Britain, the
Republic of Korea and other Asian and European countries in creating
comfortable conditions for 'conducting ethical business in compliance with
the Shariah Iaws.'
Kazan will host the third forum of Islamic business and finance in
2011.
About 500 politicians, businessmen, bankers and experts from 26
countries of Asia, Europe and Africa took part in business meetings.
The Itar-Tass news agency was the forum's informational sponsor.

. Putin to meet foreign investors at engineering forum.

MOSCOW, June 30 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
will participate in the work of 'Technologies in Engineering 2010'
international forum on Wednesday, June 30. The town of Zhukovsky near
Moscow will host the event for the first time, the government press
service reports.
Putin is expected to attend a plenary meeting that will focus on
urgent problems of Russian engineering and prospects of its development.
"Special attention will be paid to cooperation with foreign partners, ways
of increasing the investment potential of Russian engineering and
technological exchanges, the press service went on to say.
Putin will see the products of domestic producers and will visit a
show of Russian machinery both of military and civilian designation.
"The main aim of the new forum is to demonstrate the possibilities and
prospects of Russian engineering, especially of its defence industry, and
attract investments for modernization and innovative development," the
Russian government's press service said.
The forum's organizers have prepared vast business, exhibition and
demonstration programs for more than 1,000 participants. About 25
conferences and roundtable meetings will be held on the forum's sidelines
in the next five days.
The forum is expected to become a platform for discussions of the
leaders of federal bodies of state power, Russian public organizations and
businesses as well as representatives of military and political
leaderships and business circles of foreign countries.
'Technologies in Engineering 2010' will unite several autonomous
specialized exhibitions, including 'Intermash', the International Saloon
of Weapons and Military Equipment (MVSV), Aerospace and Unmanned
Multi-Purpose Complexes.
One hundred ninety organizations from 29 Russian regions, 19 foreign
companies and 12 states will display their products at the forum.
Outdoor exhibition platforms will feature more than 20 models of
weapons of the Russian Defence Ministry and about 30 modifications of
non-defence equipment.
During his visit to Zhukovsky Vladimir Putin will meet Yemen's
President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Siemens AG head Peter Loescher. He
will also visit the Meteor stadium, one of Russia's leading sport
complexes, which trains track and field athletes.

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