THE SUB-NATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

THE SUB-NATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF                                           TATARSTAN

This week i discusses on the sub national activities of the Republic of  Tatarstan  which is one of  the constituent unit of the Russian Federation.Through this entry i would like to pinpoint the  Tatarstan's style of behaviour as a sovereign state even though it remains as part of Russian Fedeation. This unique political behaviour was started as a deliberate attempt by Tatar leaders as part of their identity formation at the final days of the Soviet Union.

The international activities of the sub national units of the  multi - ethnic nation states are a phenomenon which developed in the era of globalization and political  uncertainties.The disintegration of Soviet Union was one of the most important political turning point of the late 20th century.All union republics of the USSR got transformed into independent nation states.The topic of our discussion Russian Federation remained as the flag bearer of the once mighty communist empire.In contrary to common belief the Russian Federation was not a single ethnic unit but it composed of several ethnic groups who are totally different from majority Russians. Among the major groups of Russian Federation Turkic nationalities come just after the majority Slavs.Among Turkic nationalities the Volga Tatars are considered as the most developed and progressive.On Volga they have two ethnic republics; Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. These two oil rich, Islamic republics are the major challenge to the Moscow's recentralization process.The sub national activities are most common among them.

The international relations scholars defined sub national foreign policies as 'para diplomacy' or 'proto-diplomacy' or 'multi-layered diplomacy'.It questions the traditional diplomacy of sovereign, internationally recognized nation states.It also problematizes the basic international relations concepts such as sovereignty,unity of nation state and one and only cohesive structure of international relations.It might have both functional and economic motives but political motives are the most important and one of the most neglected by the scholars.In the case of  Tatarstan, the Tatar elites tried to create a strong  regional identity without resigning from Russian Federation.They also tried to get it recognized by other foreign states.As i mentioned above the weak nature of post-Soviet Russian state made the ways for regional satraps like first Tatar president Mintimer Shaimiev.

The foreign relations of the Tatarstan started in the last years of USSR but it got it's full momentum  just after the adoption of the Declaration of  Sovereignty in August 1990.In 1993  the Republic of Tatarstan created it's Ministry of  Foreign Economic Affairs. The Department of Foreign Affairs of the President of the Republic of  Tatarstan is the main body which manages the affairs of the republic with foreign states.Sometime Tatarstan achieved the character of an independent nation state.For example in some countries the President of the Tatarstan received with the protocol which is befitted to the head of a sovereign nation state.From the government side, republican government opened the Department of International Relations in the University of Kazan for training future Tatarstani diplomats and international relations experts. In 1990's it  opened 16 missions abroad.It also signed more than 50 treaties. Of theses 14 were with foreign countries : Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Poland, San Marino and the Czech Republic.But only Turkey opened it's mission in Kazan.Almost all treaties were restricted to the co-operation in economic, science, technology, cultural and educational fields.No treaties were on political or security issues.But there were exceptions.For example in 1994 Tatarstan signed treaty with Abkhazia against the will of Moscow.Similarly it  signed friendship treaties with Chechnya and Ingushetia. Besides it also joined in international organization such as the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of  Europe and also initiated contacts with U.N organizations such as UNESCO and UNIDO and the League of Arab States.

Even though the major trading partners of Tatarstan are western countries it hardly signed any major agreements with them.But at the same time it developed a strong relationship with it's Islamic brethren such as Turkey, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan. It  was in Egypt that the President Mintimer Shaimiev received the welcome which befitted for the leader of an independent state.Due to its cultural or religious linkages with these non-western states Tatarstan's actions got more sympathy and attention from them.In the case of trade too this difference is obvious.The Republic of  Tatarstan trades oil products with the western states but in contrast with its third world partners it trades mostly the industrial products particularly the military goods.Through these tactical movements, Tatarstan found both trade and cultural partners in non-western world.It clearly distinguishes it from the other members of the Russian Federation.

The Republic of Tatarstan also took political stands which directly challenged the official position of Moscow. For example on Kososvo issue Shaimiev openly criticized the official Russian stand and welcomed the NATO'S action in Yugoslavia.Further the State Council of Tatarstan declined the service of its citizens to Russian Army which stationed in Kososvo. Or, in other words, Tatars were not ready to send the military personnel to Kosovo.Similarly Shaimiev also opposed the union between Russia and Belarus.Through these tactics Tatar elites could maintain their sovereign status even though they are remained  as a unit under Russian Federation.The sovereignty movement of the Tatarstan started in the final days of USSR.The first Russian President Boris Yeltsin was model for the leaders of ethnic republics.As Russia challenged Soviet Union as each republic challenged Russian Federation.They simply mimicked the Yeltsin's demands to Gorbachev.They also copied the concepts such as declarations of sovereignty, holding elections of the President, democratization and national self-determination. Tatarstan was the first republic which concluded a treaty with center on the delimitation of powers and authorities.The treaty equipped Tatarstan for conducting many activities including foreign economic affairs.Besides Tatarstan also got symbols such as flag, anthem, constitution and legal provision which made Tatarstan a sovereign state under Russian Federation.

Vladmir Putin's rise into power witnessed the  recentralization process in Russia. Putin divided Russia into seven federal districts and appointed his trusted lieutenants as presidential envoys there.In June 2000 the constitutional court challenged the Republic of Altai's constitution especially it's sovereignty status.Or in other words Putin's Russia wants to restructure the center-periphery relationship. Tatarstan was forced to make concessions in exchange of material benefits.But still Tatarstan was not ready to remove the basic content of the 1994 treaty and also retained the concept of 'sovereignty' in it's new constitution. (it contradicts with ruling of the Russian Constitutional Court).Overall this Volga republic kept its sovereign status and continued to take independent stands on the issues such as Afghanistan, relationship with Vatican and the Latinization of Tatar script.Moscow reacted harshly. As expected it is not as easy as in Yeltsin days.The republic's future solely depends on the relationship between Putin and new republican leaders.

References:

1) Bukharaev, Ravil (1999), The Model of Tatarstan : Under President Mintimer Shaimiev, Palgrave Macmillan.

2) Faller, Helen M. (2011), Nation,Language,Islam : Tatarstan's Sovereignty Movement,Central European University.

3) Graney, Katherine E (2009), Of  Khans and Kremlins : Tatarstan and the Future of Ethno-Federalism in Russia, Lexington Books.

4) Sharafutdinova, Gulnaz (2003), "Paradiplomacy in the Russian Regions : Tatarstan's Search for Statehood," Europe - Asia Studies, Vol.55, No.4, pp.613-629.