Non-official translation
Participants of the meeting: Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the "Russia – Islamic World" Group of Strategic Vision, Konstantin Shuvalov, Ambassador at Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Special Representative of the Minister for Interaction with Organizations of Muslim States, Deputy Chairman of the Group of Strategic Vision ‘Russia – Islamic World’, ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states, current members of the Group, representatives of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tatarstan and heads of some constituent members of the RF, public and religious figures.
Moderator: Farit Mukhametshin, Deputy Chairman of the "Russia – Islamic World" Group of Strategic Vision, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs of the Council of the Federation.
Information meetings devoted to the main results of the work of the Group and the upcoming plans have become traditional. The first meeting was held in 2019 on the premises of the Russian Foreign Ministry when the leadership of the Group presented an updated Concept.
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In 2020, the activities of the "Russia – Islamic World" Group of Strategic Vision were conducted under the slogan of further development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Many events during the year were timed to coincide with important anniversary dates – the 15th anniversary of Russia's participation as an observer in this Organization and the 50th anniversary of the OIC.
The fifteen-year period of close contacts between Russia and the Islamic countries was full of important events for our country and the OIC member states. Russia and the Islamic countries have come together on the basis of balanced approaches to a number of problems of the modern world order, confirming the possibility of conflict-free cooperation of civilizations in the conditions of the multipolar world emergence.
A number of issues on the global agenda – the preservation of multifaith and multiculturalism in society, the protection of traditional values, the deepening of humanitarian cooperation, the development of youth ties and exchanges, the improvement of information flows and communication – were priorities in the activities of the Group of Strategic Vision.
Many guidelines for the Group's activities in the past year were elaborated at its meeting dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which was held in Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan) in November 2019. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his welcoming speech to the meeting participants, stressed that " we are united by our commitment to the principles of a just democratic rule of law, our desire to ensure the rule of law in international affairs, and to strengthen stability and security on all continents. It is important that Russia and the OIC member states coordinate their efforts to counter global threats and challenges, resolve regional conflicts and solve various humanitarian problems”.
The OIC values its current ties with the Russian Federation as one of the most influential participants in international communication. Nowadays the Muslim states that have established and successfully develop relations of mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia, represent a unique civilizational community that declares its interests in international politics, economics and humanitarian cooperation.
During the reporting period the Group of Strategic Vision "Russia – Islamic World", headed by President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, as a mechanism of public diplomacy, continued its assistance to the state-led efforts to find new, non-standard approaches to tackling the problems of humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the Islamic countries, including inter-civilizational and inter-religious dialogue.
The participation of Tatarstan and a number of other regions of Russia, with predominantly Muslim population, in the work of the Group remains one of the main components of the social and civilizational potential of the Group of Strategic Vision. The regions of the Russian Federation prove with their own experience that the role of the generator of dynamic growth in all spheres of public life is played by the partnership of different cultures and religions, each of which has made its own unique contribution to world history.
In 2020, the Group organized a number of important forums and conferences with topical issues on the agenda: "The 15th anniversary of the partnership between the Russian Federation and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation", "The Muslim World facing the challenges of the pandemic: unity in the context of social distancing", "Russia – Africa": politics, economics, history and culture", "Islam in a multicultural world".
A special place in the Group's activities was occupied by the theme "The 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and the unity of peoples and religious communities in the name of protecting the Fatherland".
The Group continued its partnership with the widely recognized International Economic Forum "Russia – Islamic World" KazanSummit”, including the "Intellectual Business Space-Digital Platform "100% Tatarstan" project, and the conference on "International cooperation of Russian regions with the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation". The foreign partners were introduced to the positive experience of Russia in the development of interregional cooperation, in particular, the presentation of the Investment Development Agency of the Republic of Tatarstan and the potential of this region.
At the Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema the Group presented its traditional award to the winner of a special competition dedicated to the dialogue of cultures. Starting in 2020, the traditional Aytmatov readings will be held under the name "International Forum of Writers and Intellectuals named after Chingiz Aitmatov". The theme of the conference "Russia and the Islamic World: the role of traditional values in maintaining Cultural Diversity" held within the framework of this forum revealed a genuine interest among Russian and foreign participants of the event.
The video conference "At the origins of modern diplomatic relations with the Islamic World: the Life and Fate of Kareem Khakimov and Nazir Torekulov" (outstanding Soviet diplomats who worked in Hejaz, Yemen and Saudi Arabia in the 1920-1930s) was held by the Group of Strategic Vision in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Russia to the OIC and the Embassies of Russia and Kazakhstan in Saudi Arabia.
During the reporting period, the Group for the first time celebrated the UNESCO International Day of Islamic Art. The Group was actively involved in the implementation of the "St. Petersburg Museum-Institute of Islamic Culture" scientific and cultural project.
It is the first new type of museum in Russia, which will be based on the richest Islamic collections related to the history of Russian Islam. It is intended to become one of the most important centers of the cultural life of the Muslim peoples of Russia, to represent the spiritual achievements and history of Russian Islam abroad.
The Group's partnership with the Bulgar Islamic Academy is also expanding in order to promote the development of theological education and the re - establishment of its own Islamic theological school in Russia, as well as youth programs- the IV International Summer School "Bulgar dialogue of cultures-2020" and the "Youth volunteer movement: the experience of Russia and the countries of Islamic world" seminar.
A special place in the Group's activities was occupied by the International Forum of Muslim Journalists and Bloggers "Russia – Islamic World: crossroads of information cooperation" with the involvement of new partners – the Union of Information Agencies of the OIC, the International Federation of Journalists, the Union of Journalists of Russia and other Russian and foreign media.
The Expert Advisory Council, established in 2020, which includes well-known Russian and foreign experts in Oriental studies began to work.
Among the top priorities for 2021 and beyond, the Group of Strategic Vision considers discussing the current problems of the Islamic world in various forums. Among them is the meeting of the Group this October in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) "Russia – Islamic World: dialogue and prospects for cooperation".
In 2021 the Group plans not only to contribute to the organization of traditional forums, such as the international economic summit "Russia – Islamic World: KazanSummit 2021" scheduled for July 28-30, the Kazan Muslim Film Festival and other events, but also to hold a number of international conferences, festivals and youth projects.
Within the framework of the Group's activities, a number of events and actions are also being considered to coincide with the World Conference on Interreligious and Interethnic Dialogue, which will be held in May 2022 in Russia.
Press Service
"Russia - Islamic World»
Group of Strategic Vision