Tatar-Czech business forum to open in Kazan

KAZAN (Itar-Tass) - Businesspeople from more than 70
leading companies of the Czech Republic headed by Czech Minister of
Industry and Trade Martin Kocourek arrived for a business forum, which
will open here on Monday. Tatar Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov will
participate in the forum, the Tatar presidential press service told
Itar-Tass on Sunday.
"The forum is seeking to expand the cooperation between the
businesspeople in the Czech Republic and Tatarstan," a member of the forum
organizing committee Rita Mingaliyeva said.
The forum will open at the Korston business center with a presentation
of the trade and economic and investment potential in Tatarstan and the
Czech Republic. The industrial exhibitions of the Russian republic and the
Czech Republic are open at the center.
The Czech Republic shows its achievements in machine building,
woodworking, mining industry and pharmaceuticals, Tatarstan in
petrochemistry, carmaking, shipbuilding and IT technologies.
The sides are planning to sign a memorandum to open a permanent office
of the Czech union of processing machine-building machinery in Tatarstan.
The sides also intend to conclude an agreement to fund and build a
multifunctional center in Kazan.
The Tatar customs service reported that the trade between Tatarstan
and the Czech Republic reached 82 million dollars in 2010. The bilateral
trade exceeded 1.4 billion dollars in the pre-crisis year of 2008.
"The Czech Republic and Tatarstan intend to reach the pre-crisis level
of trade soon," Tatar Minister of Industry and Trade Ravil Zaripov said.