MOSCOW, 19 Oct. /TASS/. Audit resources and sources of development of Russia in the Caspian region – the primary task that needs to be addressed the country for fruitful cooperation with the Caspian neighbors. This opinion was expressed by TASS on Thursday the former head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov appointed as special representative of the President of Russia on cooperation with the countries of the Caspian region.
Abdulatipov has resigned from the post of head of Dagestan, which was led for nearly five years, at the age of 71 years in October 2017. On the same day, October 3, the interim head of the region was appointed 68-year-old Vladimir Vasilyev, former Deputy speaker of the state Duma and the Chairman of the faction “United Russia” in the Duma.
“First, it is necessary to conduct an audit of resources, sources of development, which Russia has in the Caspian direction. Second, we need to understand that we can offer our neighbors,” he said, adding that “it is necessary to intensify inter-regional cooperation of the Caspian States”.
Abdulatipov noted that the Caspian sea “has enormous potential, and cultural and economic.” “It is important to develop integration processes in the region is in the interests of Russia first of all, it is in the interests of other Caspian States, and active in the Caspian region will significantly improve the efficiency of development… regions of the Caspian littoral States”, – he explained.
The former head of Dagestan also added that in the Republic there are a number approved by the government and the President’s projects concerning the Caspian region. “I had to discuss and agree with the President and with the Prime Minister of a large development project in the Caspian logistics and industrial center, or a logistics – industrial complex, which includes logistics… [and] the development of new shipbuilding, ship repair”, – said Abdulatipov.
Maritime transport and differences in the waters
Thus, we can already identify several problems that will have to face the former head of Dagestan for his new post, told TASS the representative of the government of the Republic of Dagestan in the trade mission of the Russian Federation in Iran Emin Aliyev.
“First and foremost, he (Abdulatipov – approx. TASS) will need to pay attention to Maritime transport”, – said the expert. Aliyev said that their organization requires special attention.
“We have a big problem still is disagreement on the Caspian sea. The past was the Soviet Union – the same territory – and he owned most of the area. In connection with the emergence of new countries – Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan… there are claims of these States to Iran. Countries believe that Iran got too much of the waters” – he said and expressed confidence that Abdulatipov “to resolve those differences.”
Authority and negotiations
Experts also say that political experience Abdulatipov and his authority should help in addressing the problems of the Caspian region. “The most important thing – his relationship and the relationship with the heads of the Caspian States and its credibility in the republics of the Caspian region as Caspian sea, we have become one of the strategic areas where the focus of a world power, and we understand that the development of the Caspian sea requires special attention. I think that in this case, a very crucial part of the work was entrusted to him by the President”, – told TASS the political scientist, the former head of the center of modern Caucasian policy (tsskp) “Caucasus” Igor Sopov.
He noted that Abdulatipov has sufficient authority to work in this direction. “I can say that for discussion in tsskp Kavkaz themes of the Caspian sea, he had invited the leaders of the republics of the Caspian region. To it all came, and to him all respect. I believe that this assignment has prospects under me for one reason – this topic need to be addressed, and he can handle it,” – said the expert.
The General Director of Agency of political and economic communications Dmitry Orlov, in turn, said that Abdulatipov “always been able to conduct a reasonable dialogue with various groups”.
“He’s a politician, able to talk to different groups of elites that was popular in Dagestan, and what will be needed in the Caspian sea because there are a lot of elite groups, many different interests of the state”, – said Sopov.
Biography Abdulatipov
Abdulatipov was born in 1946 in the village Gebgude Tlyaratinsky district, Dagestan ASSR. In 1966 he graduated from Buynaksk medical school on specialty “medical assistant” in 1975 – historical faculty of the Dagestan state University (in absentia), in 1978 – post-graduate philosophy faculty of Leningrad state University imeni A. A. Zhdanov (now – St. Petersburg state University).
In 1997-1998, he was Deputy Chairman of the government of the Russian Federation, in the period from 1998 to 2013 – Minister of national policy, a member of the Federal Assembly of the Executive authorities of the Saratov region, Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in Tajikistan, the rector of the Moscow state University of culture and arts, Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Federal structure and local self-government.
Abdulatipov topped the Dagestan at the end of January 2013 at the age of 67 years, replacing the President of the Republic Magomedsalam Magomedov, more than seven months was the acting, and then September 8, 2013, deputies of the regional Parliament elected him President of Dagestan, the same day he took office. At the end of September 2017 Abdulatipov has resigned and, on 3 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin took it.
