Tatarstan officials denied reports Monday that the oil-rich republic had signed a deal with Moscow to guarantee fuel supplies to the Russian capital, saying that negotiations were "of a very preliminary nature."


The Moscow daily Segodnya reported Saturday that Moscow and Tatarstan had agreed to set up a new company, Mostatneft, designed to put an end to chronic shortages of gasoline in the city. It said the project would involve oil producer Tatneft, the Nizhnekamsk refinery, the Moscow Refinery and Moscow commercial banks.


Yury Zagrebnoy, press officer for the Moscow city government, could not confirm the report, while spokesmen at both the Fuel and Energy Ministry and state oil company Rosneft denied any knowledge of the project.


But Rafis Imolayev, press spokesman for the Tatarstan Embassy in Moscow, said that talks on the subject had taken place between Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiyev during the latter's visit to the capital two weeks ago.


Stressing that the talks were "of a very preliminary nature," he said that any such project would be dependent on city government cultural support for the local Tatar diaspora, which he estimated to number as many as 800,000 in Moscow.


"There is not one kindergarten, school or community center for nearly a million people," said Imolayev. "Providing such facilities would be an inextricable part of any contract between Moscow city and Tatarstan."


Tatar cultural demands are not the only problem that an oil alliance with Moscow must face. Tatarstan is already involved in oil deals with Kaliningrad, Abkhazia, Novosibirsk and the Crimea, said Imolayev.


The Moscow Times


Tatarstan officials denied reports Monday that the oil-rich republic had signed a deal with Moscow to guarantee fuel supplies to the Russian capital, saying that negotiations were "of a very preliminary nature."


The Moscow daily Segodnya reported Saturday that Moscow and Tatarstan had agreed to set up a new company, Mostatneft, designed to put an end to chronic shortages of gasoline in the city. It said the project would involve oil producer Tatneft, the Nizhnekamsk refinery, the Moscow Refinery and Moscow commercial banks.


Yury Zagrebnoy, press officer for the Moscow city government, could not confirm the report, while spokesmen at both the Fuel and Energy Ministry and state oil company Rosneft denied any knowledge of the project.


But Rafis Imolayev, press spokesman for the Tatarstan Embassy in Moscow, said that talks on the subject had taken place between Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and Tatar President Mintimer Shaimiyev during the latter's visit to the capital two weeks ago.


Stressing that the talks were "of a very preliminary nature," he said that any such project would be dependent on city government cultural support for the local Tatar diaspora, which he estimated to number as many as 800,000 in Moscow.


"There is not one kindergarten, school or community center for nearly a million people," said Imolayev. "Providing such facilities would be an inextricable part of any contract between Moscow city and Tatarstan."


Tatar cultural demands are not the only problem that an oil alliance with Moscow must face. Tatarstan is already involved in oil deals with Kaliningrad, Abkhazia, Novosibirsk and the Crimea, said Imolayev.