Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport in Kazan.

Vladimir Putin inspected preparations for the XXVII Summer World University Games to be held in 2013.

The President will inspect preparations for the XXVII Summer World University Games, which will take place in Kazan this year, and hold a meeting of the Council for the Development of Physical Culture and Sport.

In Tatarstan, Vladimir Putin visited the ancient cities of Bolgar and Sviyazhsk, which are central to the history of Islam and Orthodoxy.

Vladimir Putin met with Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Tatarstan residents from among the business community, education and healthcare sectors to discuss the socio-economic situation in the region.

Head of Tatarstan briefed the President on the social and economic situation in the republic.

Dmitry Medvedev lit candles at the home chapel of his Gorki residence in memory of the victims of the Bulgaria cruise ship accident.

Mr Minnikhanov’s involvement with the process of transferring certain powers from the federal to the regional authorities was the subject of discussion.

The meeting was devoted to training Russian national teams for the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

During his trip to the Republic of Tatarstan, Dmitry Medvedev visited KAMAZ automobile plant where he viewed samples of the vehicles produced and presented state decorations to members of the KAMAZ Master Team for success at the 2010 Dakar Argentina-Chile rally raids.

A meeting of the Commission for Modernisation and Technological Development of Russia’s Economy devoted to implementing energy efficiency projects was held in Naberezhnye Chelny.

During his visit to the Republic of Tatarstan, Dmitry Medvedev took part in the launch ceremony of the first stage of the TANECO oil refining complex in Nizhnekamsk.