MOSCOW: Tatarstan's President Mintimer Shaymiyev yesterday commended bilateral relations with Kuwait, saying that talks with the Kuwaiti leadership last April reflected keenness on further enhancing these relations.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with the Foreign Press Association in Moscow, he said his country was keen on developing relations with the Arab world in the fields of economy, commerce, and culture.

Moreover, he said Tatarstan was a model of religious co-existence and tolerance where Muslims and Christians live side by side, adding that international community efforts had not been sufficient in calling upon Islamic leaders to push for greater religious and cultural dialogue.
Shaymiyev noted that Tatarstan hosted in August a conference on the joint vision of Russian and the Islamic world in which top religious and political figures took part.

On a different noted, the President said his country was planning to construct large oil and gas refineries as it annually produced 30 million tonnes of oil, adding that he would be visiting Britain on October 19 to hold talks on developing oil and petrochemical industries.

Tatarstan's 7 per cent industrial growth rate exceeded the average for Russian republics, he said, adding that economic and political stability would allow involvement in global economy. Shaymiyev had visited Kuwait in August as part of a tour that included Syria and Saudi Arabia. During his visit he met with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait and top officials. – Kuna