THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN IS WAITING FOR THE IRANIAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT








KAZAN, March 12, 2001. /RIA Novosti correspondent Vladimir Shevchuk/. Kazan (the capital of Tatarstan, a republic within the Russian Federation in the Volga area) is waiting for the Iranian president Mohammad Khatami who arrived on an official visit to Russia Monday. RIA Novosti was informed of this by Timur Akulov, state adviser to the president of Tatarstan for international issues, director of the president's department for foreign relations.


	According to his data, Mohammad Khatami is arriving in Kazan on March 15, after his visits to Moscow and St. Petersburg.


	Over the past several months, Iranian delegations visited the capital of Tatarstan twice, and the republic's president Mintimer Shaimiyev passed through them his oral invitation to the Iranian president to visit Kazan, Timur Akulov said. The invitation was accepted. The Iranian president is coming on a visiting tour with several Iranian ministers. It is known for sure that the oil minister will be among them, Akulov noted.


	"Tatarstan has its own interest in developing oil fields in Iran," Timur Akulov stressed in conclusion.