| Kirsan Ilyumzhinov lures investors with Buddha's tooth A rather unusual plan for attracting investment to the republic was recently presented to the district authorities by the President of Kalmykia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Along with the export of lamb to the Persian Gulf countries, the economic recovery of the republic, according to the president, can be ensured by exotic projects - like the chess city of Sitiches, built several years ago. Now Ilyumzhinov is betting on the construction of the tallest Buddhist temple in Europe and on one of the seven teeth of Buddha, which the Dalai Lama himself seems to have promised to transfer to Kalmykia.
The president of the steppe republic complains about the resource poverty of his region. “We are a railway dead end; transport and goods flows do not pass through us,” says Mr. Ilyumzhinov. Forecasts for hydrocarbon reserves have also not yet been confirmed; at least, Kalmykia is clearly not in danger of becoming a second Kuwait, as Kirsan Ilyumzhinov once promised. Its economy is 90% represented by agriculture, and not the most profitable agricultural sectors. For example, the natural and climatic conditions of Kalmykia cannot be called ideal for highly profitable crop production, and livestock farming today does not provide large profits. However, the Kalmyks do not have another republic, so Kirsan Ilyumzhinov intends to attract investments into the region in unconventional and sometimes even exotic ways.
For example, according to the Kalmyk president, in Elista, basements and attics are transferred free of charge to entrepreneurs under the obligation to create new jobs. “Even if some businessman doesn’t succeed, he will at least get the rats out of there and evict the homeless,” says Mr. Ilyumzhinov. The largest Buddhist temple in Europe currently under construction in Elista should have an even more significant impact on the development of the Kalmyk economy. The project was initiated by Mr. Ilyumzhinov himself - the president is confident that the temple will attract thousands of pilgrims to the republic. Moreover, Buddhists will go to Kalmykia for another shrine - one of the seven teeth of Buddha. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has already held successful negotiations with the Dalai Lama, who seems to have promised to give the Kalmyks this relic for safekeeping, for at least 49 years. A place has even been determined for the storage of Buddha's tooth - the fifth or seventh floor of the future temple will be allocated for it. The temple itself is scheduled to open in December this year. At the same time, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will again come to the republic to participate in the ceremony of consecrating the khurul, and at the same time he will bring a tooth. If, of course, the Russian authorities allow him into the country, China will obviously create a diplomatic scandal.
“When the Dalai Lama visited us for the first time, hundreds of thousands of believers came to the republic,” says Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. - And each of them left at least ten dollars in Kalmykia: people paid for food and rent of apartments. All this money flowed into the republic’s economy.”
However, the Kalmyk authorities still expect to receive truly large investments in more familiar and understandable projects, such as the development of sheep breeding. According to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, he managed to convince a number of investors from Arab countries of the advisability of investing in republican livestock farming. At the same time, we are talking about the prospects for exporting Kalmyk lamb to the Persian Gulf states.
The presidential embassy in the Southern Federal District reacts very restrainedly to the investment initiatives of the Kalmyk president. “Kirsan Nikolayevich always talks very beautifully about his projects,” said Vremya Novostei’s source at the embassy. However, Mr. Ilyumzhinov not only vividly describes his future projects, but also beautifully reports on the work done. For example, according to the President of Kalmykia, the Citychez project, which thundered throughout the country, was implemented without a penny of budget money and today brings in good income due to all kinds of chess tournaments and events that are held there. True, the forces opposing the president for some reason stubbornly disagree with this statement. Larisa NIKITINA, Rostov-on-Don |
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