On May 15, in Kazan, as part of the KazanForum – 2025, a conference of the Group of Strategic Vision "Russia — Islamic World" (Group, GSV) was held on the topic of “The Experience of Russia and the Countries of the Islamic World in the Field of Youth Policy: Common Challenges and Joint Actions”. The conference was attended by members of the GSV, as well as leaders of Russian and Islamic youth organizations.
Advisor to the Group, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation Farit Mukhametshin moderated the discussion and introduced the new Deputy Chairman of the GSV, Marat Gatin.
Marat Gatin, also acting assistant to Rais of Tatarstan, noted that the key event of the KazanForum – 2025 will be the plenary session of the GSV, dedicated to the joint experience of Russia and the Islamic world in youth policy.
“Today we have a discussion format in a free and informal setting to exchange opinions and discuss possible joint projects,” Gatin emphasized.
Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Yevgeny Primakov spoke about federal youth projects open to international cooperation. He particularly noted the "New Generation" program, which operates under the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since 2011, more than 10,000 young people have already taken part in this program of internships and trips to Russia.
"We all understand very well that our future depends on the youth. These are the people who will replace us," said Mr. Primakov. "Should we speak to them in a moralizing manner? Or should they feel this inside themselves in some way?"
The head of Rossotrudnichestvo noted that the federal programs he described engage young people without coercion. In the course of such activities, young people understand that following traditional values is useful and interesting for them. Mr. Primakov also suggested that the Group discuss the issue of participating in a forum dedicated to the centenary of public diplomacy in Russia in 2025.
“Due to the difficult socio-economic conditions in some parts of the world, extremist movements among young people are becoming increasingly widespread,” noted the negative trend the head of the League of Arab States (LAS) office in Russia, Walid Shiltag, in his speech.
In this regard, the Arab League prioritizes the empowerment of youth and their increased participation in political, social, and cultural life, as well as their fuller integration into the problems of Arab society. The Arab League’s special strategy for youth, peace and humanity is designed for the period 2024-2028.
“The strategy is open to cooperation and exchange of experience in this area,” Mr. Shiltag noted, emphasizing Russia’s important role in this activity.
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea Georgy Muradov made a strong request to representatives of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to send a fact-finding mission to Crimea.
“Crimea is a positive example for the international community in the issue of peaceful and friendly coexistence of people of different national religions,” Mr. Muradov emphasized.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that the Turkic-speaking peoples played a major role in the formation of the Russian state. Today, all the peoples of Russia exist in symbiosis and convergence. "And a historical achievement that was built over half a thousand years," noted Mr. Muradov. According to him, it is this achievement that must be passed on to future generations.
“There are more than 20 million Muslims in Russia,” the deputy chairman of the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate, Selim Argun noted during his speech. However, he emphasized that this is the wealth of not only Russia, but also the entire Islamic world.
Speaking about the challenges facing today's youth, Mr. Argun listed the violation of religious rights and the danger of extremism, and also emphasized that education must be up to date. The deputy chairman recalled the importance of cooperation with Russia, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly spoken about.
The Secretary General of the League of Islamic Universities, Sami Al-Sharif, touched upon the profound issues of interaction between religion and the state, and the problem of preserving identity in the modern world.
"Our main challenge is not technology, but the search for mutual understanding between generations," Mr. Al-Sharif emphasized. "They don’t wait for ready-made solutions, but create their own paths filled with living meaning." The speaker proposed a new approach to education - organizing a space for dialogue between students, religious figures, artists, and scientists.
As already mentioned, a full-scale discussion of the joint experience of Russia and the countries of the Islamic world in the field of youth policy will take place on May 16, 2025, during the plenary session of the Group. More than 20 leading Russian foreign university rectors and ministers of youth affairs, heads of various youth organizations and associations of OIC countries have been invited to participate.