On June 4, at the XXIX St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an updated action plan was signed within the framework of the cooperation agreement between the Novgorod Region government and the government of the Republic of Tatarstan. The heads of the regions, Alexander Dronov and Rustam Minnikhanov, signed the document. The agreement itself was concluded at SPIEF in 2019.
"The Novgorod Region and the Republic of Tatarstan have been actively developing bilateral ties for many years. Cooperation covers a wide range of areas, from economics and industry to science, culture, and sports. One of the key and most striking projects of cooperation was the creation of special economic zones. In October 2020, the Novgorod Region Government and the Alabuga Special Economic Zone signed an agreement to create a special economic zone in our region, and a year later, Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on the creation of the Novgorod SEZ. The experience of Alabuga, as one of the best and largest SEZs in Russia, was taken as a basis for the development of the Novgorod zone," said Governor Alexander Dronov.
The Head of the republic expressed his willingness to share Tatarstan's experience in training personnel for production, improving the investment climate, digitalizing the economy and social sphere, and introducing an electronic procurement system.
The scientific and educational sphere has become an important area of cooperation. Several years ago, the regions signed a number of agreements on innovative projects in the field of science and education. A key initiative proposed by NovSU named after Yaroslav the Wise was cooperation with Innopolis University to create advanced technical means of rehabilitation for people with disabilities. The agreements also covered the partnership of schools and the Solar Regatta competition in the Novgorod region.
Cultural cooperation between the regions is implemented through participation in annual interregional festivals. At the Territory of Friendship festival of national cultures, which takes place in Veliky Novgorod and brings together more than 500 guests and dozens of creative groups, Tatar culture is represented by traditional dance performances and a gastronomic block. Cooperation in the field of sports is developing both in professional and mass sports. In February 2023, the Governor of the Novgorod Region and the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation signed an agreement, according to which the NovSU team received an invitation to the first Russian fidget sports competition, which was held in Kazan.
The successful experience of Kazan's School 21, which trains in-demand IT specialists, has been transferred to the Novgorod region. In July 2023, the first free enrollment in School 21 was officially announced in Veliky Novgorod, and in September, the "pool" selection intensive began. By adopting the proven model from Tatarstan, the region has launched the first campus of the school in the North-West, where anyone over the age of 18 can learn programming from scratch and complete an internship at an IT company.
The updated plan of joint activities, which was signed today, is set for four years. More attention will be paid to establishing and expanding business contacts, cooperating on entrepreneurship support, and implementing special programs to support small and medium-sized businesses. Investments and public-private partnership projects will also be implemented.
There are big joint plans in the field of agriculture. For example, it is about establishing direct ties between agricultural producers in the Novgorod Region and Tatarstan to organize mutual supplies of agricultural raw materials and food products, as well as consumer goods, within the framework of the implementation of the Russian Federation's Food Security Doctrine.
The two regions will share their experiences in the fields of healthcare, employment and social protection, housing and communal services, urban planning, and environmental safety. Traditionally, the two regions have many joint plans in the areas of culture, cultural heritage protection, archives, and search operations. We would also like to add that representatives of Tatarstan have been participating in the Memory Watch in Novgorod for many years.
04 июня 2026 15:35:00
