MOSCOW, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Russian Volga city of Kazan, the venue of the 2013 Summer Universiade, has submitted application for hosting the first European Student Games in 2012.

    The general assembly of European University Sports Association (EUSA) decided to hold the first European Universiade in late December in Vienna.

    Marat Bariev, the regional Minister of Youth, Sport and Tourism of the Tatarstan Republic, told local media recently that Kazan would be well prepared for the first European Student Games, as by July, 2012 all relevant sports facilities for the 2013 Summer Universiade will be completed.

    The minister also believed that organizing the 2012 European Universiade in Kazan will give opportunities for testing readiness for the Universiade one year later.

    Besides Kazan, cities from Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Germany and Poland have also submitted applications for the European continental analogue to the World Universiade. The EUSA executive committee will decide the final bidding results in the second quarter this year.

    Kazan, the regional capital of Russia's Tatarstan Republic, was the economic and cultural center in the middle reaches of the Volga river. The thousand-year city once bid for the 2011 Universiade, but lost to China's Shenzhen by four votes.