ABOUT THE GROUP OF STRATEGIC VISION "RUSSIA – ISLAMIC WORLD"
The Group of Strategic Vision "Russia – Islamic World" (hereinafter referred to as the GSV "Russia – Islamic World", GSV "RIW", the Group) was established in 2006 at the initiative of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin after Russia joined the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organization of Islamic Cooperation) as an observer in 2005. This initiative was put forward during the Vladimir Putin's visit to Malaysia following his speech at the 10th summit of the OIC countries in 2003.
The founders and co-chairs of the Group were outstanding and influential public and political figures of Russia Yevgeny Primakov, former Prime Minister of Russia, and Mintimer Shaimiev, the first President of the Republic of Tatarstan. Up to 2010, the Group held five meetings: in Moscow (March 2006), Kazan (August 2006), Istanbul (February 2007), Jeddah (October 2008) and Kuwait City (December 2009).
In 2014, the duties of the Chairman of the Group were assigned to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov (since February 2023 – Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan), and in June 2015, the first Meeting of Group of Strategic Vision "Russia – Islamic World" in an updated format was held in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Iyad Madani took part in the work of the Meeting. In 2019, at a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry with ambassadors of OIC member states accredited in Russia, an updated concept for the activities of the Group of Strategic Vision was presented.
In addition, the Group held the following meetings between 2015 and 2025: Moscow (June 2015), Kazan (May 2016), Grozny (May 2017), Makhachkala (November 2018), Ufa (November 2019), Jeddah (November 2021), Kazan (May 2022, May 2023, May 2024), Kuala Lumpur (December 2024), Kazan (May 2025). The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin addressed a welcoming message to each Meeting of the Group of Strategic Vision.
When meetings are held in the Republic of Tatarstan, they are traditionally synchronized in time with the International Economic Forum "Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum", which ensures the practical implementation of the relevant areas of cooperation discussed at the annual meetings of the Groups. Members of the GSV "RIW" and experts actively participate in its events. In recent years, the KazanForum has become the main platform for economic cooperation between Russia and the states of the Islamic World.
The topics of the Meetings of the Group correspond to the actual agenda and vary from discussing traditional, cultural, and moral values and the experience of preserving ethnocultural diversity, interethnic and interreligious harmony to reflecting on the ways of interaction between Russia and the Islamic world in the era of the formation of multipolarity and work in the field of youth policy.
Today, the Group includes 77 well-known government, public and political figures from Russia and 25 foreign countries, including former ministers, leading theologians, experts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Iran, Kuwait and other countries. In addition, there is the Expert Advisory Council of the GSV, which includes prominent experts and scholars from Russia and the countries of the Islamic World, headed by the Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Vitaly Naumkin. Since March 2025 Marat Gatin, assistant to the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan is the Deputy Chairman of the Group.
Today, the Group of Strategic Vision "Russia – Islamic World" acts as an international platform in the field of public diplomacy for the exchange of views with the leaders of international Muslim public organizations, heads of leading analytical, scientific, and humanitarian organizations, foundations, universities of the OIC countries. At present, the priority is the promotion of a fair multipolar world order and the safe development, protection of the foundations of spiritual and moral values which Russia and the states of the Islamic world share in common, as well as involving young people in their preservation and enhancement. Its activities are carried out in accordance with the updated concept of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation approved on March 31, 2023 by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, which for the first time included the section "Islamic World". It emphasizes that states of friendly Islamic civilization are becoming increasingly in-demand and reliable partners of Russia in matters of ensuring security, stability, and resolving economic problems at the global and regional levels.
One of the main tasks of the Group of Strategic Vision "Russia – Islamic World" today is to provide every possible assistance to the process of further rapprochement between Russia and the Islamic world on a cultural and civilizational basis, to coordinate positions on key international issues, and to assist in establishing contacts, primarily in the public sphere, with an emphasis on expanding comprehensive partnership, including in the economic sphere, and interaction between youth organizations.
Under the patronage of the Group, various forums, scientific and practical conferences, festivals, round tables, public, religious, youth and other events are held in Russia and abroad.