TATARSTAN TO GET NEW PRIME MINISTER.

Tatarstani President Mintimer Shaimiev has nominated Finance Minister Rustam Minnikhanov as the republic’s new Prime Minister. The nomination will be submitted for approval to the republic’s parliament, the State Council, tomorrow. The Monitor’s correspondent in the Volga region reports that Shaimiev is believed to have chosen Minnikhanov because of his proven toughness on financial matters: The fall in world oil prices is confronting oil-producing Tatarstan with serious economic difficulties. (Vechernyaya Kazan, July 7) Last week, Tatarstan’s state-owned oil company, Tatneft, was one of four Russian oil companies whose export quotas were cut by the government by one-third as punishment for not paying federal taxes. Also penalized were Bashkortostan’s Bashneft, Onako and Sidanko. (Russian agencies, July 4)

GOVERNMENT PROFFERS OLIVE BRANCH ON NATIONALITY ISSUE.