Rustam Minnikhanov and Ilsur Metshin met with the French delegation headed by Anne Hidalgo

(KZN.RU, February 16). Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of Tatarstan, and Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, met with a French delegation led by Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris. Albert Karimov, the deputy Prime Minister of the RT and the minister of Industry and Trade, Vladimir Leonov, the minister of Youth Affairs and Sport of the PT, Taliya Minullina, the head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, Radik Vahitov, the Russian Foreign Ministry representative in Kazan, and others also participated in the a meeting in the Governor's Palace of the Kazan Kremlin.

R. Minnikhanov thanked Anne Hidalgo for finding the time to visit Kazan in her busy schedule, for her interest in the republic as a whole. “We appreciate the cooperation at the interregional level in the framework of the Russian-French relations”, said the President of Tatarstan.

The head of the republic noted that he appreciates the work of Anne Hidalgo in the World Organization “United Cities and Local Governments” (UCLG). “Local authorities are the foundation of any state, and you make a contribution to this foundation”, he said.

The President reminded the cooperation with a number of French companies, which today operate on the territory of Tatarstan. He also said that Tatarstan monuments of architecture and history are included in the list of the World Heritage Sites UNESCO (the Kazan Kremlin and the Reserve-Museum in Bulgar). In addition, work on the inclusion another object in the list is carrying out: the Cathedral of the Assumption, located on the island-city of Sviyazhsk. According to the President, a national holiday Sabantui can also qualify for inclusion in the Register of Intangible Heritage.

“We accepted the agreement of cooperation, signed between Paris and Kazan, with the approval. This is a good signal”, said R. Minnikhanov. The agreement between Paris and Kazan provides the establishment of bilateral relations on the basis of long-term planning of joint actions, the exchange of information, cooperation in tourism, investment, and implementation of cultural projects.

Rustam Minnikhanov and Anne Hidalgo discussed the issues of the national holiday Sabantui in Paris in 2017 (the agreement was reached earlier in the meeting of Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, with Anne Hidalgo). It is assumed that Sabantui-2017 will be held at the Champ de Mars in the French capital. The date is to be determined. In addition, according to the President of Tatarstan, it is important to develop contacts in the tourism industry, in sports and education.

Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, said that the experience of Tatarstan and Kazan in organizing international sports events is of interest today. “We are interested in your strategy of tourism and sports development, the construction of large-scale sports facilities, all the international events that have already been hosted and you're willing to host. This is all very important”, she said.

So, Anne Hidalgo reminded that experience of Tatarstan on issues of security during the mass events is important to Paris. She assured that Paris is ready to share its own experience in the field of tourism, attracting tourists from around the world, increasing the tourist flow.

Anne Hidalgo also said that one of the most promising areas of interaction is the sphere of education. “It is necessary that our young people know each other, establish contacts, the relationship between the educational institutions, colleges and high schools, of Kazan and Paris”, said the Mayor of Paris.

Rustam Minnikhanov supported the idea of strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism, sports, and especially education. In addition, he noted that Tatarstan as a Russian region has a serious centuries-old experience of peaceful coexistence of people of different nationalities and different religions.

The President invited Ms. Hidalgo to visit Kazan during the Confederations Cup in the summer of 2017, reports the press-service of the head of the republic.

After the meeting, a tour of the Kazan Kremlin was carried out for the French delegation. The Mayor of Paris was shown some of the main historical monuments of Kazan, revealing the centuries-old history of the city: the Syuyumbike Tower, the Annunciation Cathedral and the Kul Sharif mosque. Imam Ilfar Hazrat Hasanov gave a tour for Anne Hidalgo in the Tatarstan's main mosque. He told the guests from France about the history of the mosque, showed her the main prayer hall, and the local museum.

Anne Hidalgo said that today Kazan in the snow looks very picturesque and beautiful. At the same time, she noted that will visit the capital of Tatarstan in the summer with pleasure.