International Petrochemical Forum – Tatarstan

Notes from Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum 2023

The Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum 2023, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of oil production in Tatarstan was a very enlightening experience for me. Every year the Forum is supported by the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The Forum is an important meeting for industry representatives and the business community where experts and scientists of the Russian oil, gas and chemical industry discuss the problems of the industry and evaluate advanced technologies.

Dozens of topics and issues were discussed at the forum;

  • the development perspective of Russian oil and gas companies,
  • initiatives and best practices for the digital transformation of the oil and gas industry,
  • petrochemical growth opportunities in Russia,
  • import substitution of the Russian oil and gas sector to a change of focus in import

TatOilExpo-2023, the region’s largest international energy exhibition was also organised as part of the forum. At the exhibition, I had the opportunity to visit the stands of many Russian and foreign companies in different themes ranging from exploration – production – transport – storage of oil and gas, field construction and infrastructure development, information technologies as well as environmental and industrial safety in oil and gas sector.

Investment relations between Tatarstan and Turkiye

Tatarstan offers significant advantages to Turkish investors. In particular, its raw materials, rich energy resources and favourable energy costs make life easier for Turkish investors. Many Turkish companies from Şişecam to Hayat Kimya, from Kastamonu Entegre to Coşkunöz are producing in Tatarstan. Benefiting from special tax-free production and incentives in the Alabuga Industrial Zone, Turkish companies continue to invest in this region. Having resources such as raw materials and oil clearly shows that Tatarstan is an attractive destination for Turkish investors.

On the other hand, Tatarstan also has investments in Turkiye. In 2023, the largest direct investment in Turkiye came from Tatarstan; at least until today… TATNEFT, one of the world’s leading petrochemical companies, which acquired Aytemiz Petrol, invested more than 600 million dollars in Turkiye this year. The raw material production facility investment in Gebze Chemical Specialised Organised Industrial Zone will contribute to closing the current account deficit of our country.

Turkiye and Tatarstan share common ties in culture, history and traditions. The similarity of the Tatar dialect to Turkish and the love of Tatars for Turks are among the most important indicators and supports the strength of the ties between the two countries.

President of Tatarstan’s sincerity and hard work are admirable

During the Forum, which is hosted by Vice President of Tatarstan Robert Khamitovich Minnegaliev, we had the chance to meet with President of Tatarstan Mr. Rustem Minnikhanov and Minister of Trade and Industry Mr. Oleg Korobchenko.

However, one of the most impressive moments of the forum for me was the opportunity to meet Mr Rustem Minnikhanov, President of Tatarstan.  I was impressed by his extremely friendly and relaxed personality. I had heard that he is very hardworking and starts his office hours in the morning even earlier than the employees of the presidential office. When I saw that he was at the forum giving opening speeches at 8.00 am, I realised that his hard work is not just an urban myth 🙂

In conclusion

Tatarstan has a high potential in the field of petrochemicals. There is a remarkable and growing investment relationship between Turkiye and Tatarstan. Seeing how the two countries can achieve even greater success together during the meetings I had and at the expo, increased my hopes for the future. I would like to thank the Tatarstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for hosting us and Tatarstan Turkiye representative Mr. Ayrat Gataullin for all the supports at the event and all the productive meetings we had.