Hillary Clinton promised to consult Tatarstan President on foreign policy issues

15 October 2009, 10:56

(Kazan, October 14, Tatar-inform, Sergei Semerkin). US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Republic of Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev held a meeting at Kazan Kremlin on October 14.

Before the meeting, head of US Department of State got acquainted with Kazan Kremlin sights; she visited Kul Sharif Mosque and Annunciation Cathedral.

Mintimer Shaimiev thanked Hillary Clinton on personal behalf and on behalf of Tatarstan people for finding time in her busy schedule to visit Tatarstan.

Tatarstan President stated that Hillary Clinton had accomplished a lot during a visit to Russia. New approaches for Russia-US cooperation have been opened. Recently, Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama announced “reset” in the relation between the two states.

Mintimer Shaimiev informed that Tatarstan was a kind of bridge between Islam and Orthodoxy, the East and the West. The republic has established business contacts with European countries and the United States and overall relations with the Arabic world in recent years. On the whole, Russia has been successfully developing contacts with Arabic countries.

“Tatarstan society is distinguished for tolerance and mutual understanding. When I am asked why it is so I say that, in the first place, it is due to our people are well-educated. Kazan has always been one of Russia’s enlightenment centres,” RT President said. According to his words, when a person is educated, it is easier for him/her to achieve mutual understanding with others.

“I am honoured to visit Kazan and Tatarstan,” Hillary Clinton said at a meeting. According to US Secretary of State’s words, the republic is an example of how people of different nationalities and religious beliefs can approach joint future. As a leader, Tatarstan President demonstrates “centrism” – he lends his ear to opinions of different people and it is the best way to govern.

The Secretary of State indicated that the new mosque Kul Sharif and the renovated Annunciation Cathedral were situated in Kazan Kremlin close to each other. It demonstrated that people respect the past here, but at the same time they look in the future. Hillary Clinton noted that the trucks KAMAZ with Cummins engines, which she had seen in Kazan, showed an example of successful cooperation of Russian and American companies.

Hillary Clinton pointed out Tatarstan’s work aimed at establishing a dialogue between Europe and the Islamic world. The republic itself is an example that Christian and Islamic worlds can co-exist.

Hillary Clinton said that she had been shown a statute of a winged snow leopard with the motto “Yes, we can!” engraved on it. The US Secretary of State promised to tell about it to US President who chose the slogan “Yes, we can” for his election campaign 6 years ago. Basically, that’s why, Barack Obama owes a lot to President Shaimiev.

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