The President of Tatarstan R.N. Minnikhanov made a welcoming speech at the opening meeting of Group of strategic vision "Russia – Islamic World" in Kazan, May 27, 2016.
Assalamu alaikum wa wa rahmat barakatuh!
Dear participants of the meeting!
Dear guests!
I am glad to welcome you in the Republic of Tatarstan!
1. Last year, Moscow hosted the first meeting of Group of strategic vision “Russia – Islamic world” in the new line-up.
In these days in Kazan we hold the 2nd meeting of the Group.
Let me thank:
Administration of the President of Russian Federation, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their assistance in this event;
Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Islamic Development Bank and other partners for their support of our initiatives;
Representatives of foreign countries and Russian regions who are participating in the meeting.
The Platform of Group of strategic vision is used for:
joining efforts of government officials, experts and scholars from many countries to strengthen relations between Russia and Islamic world;
exchange of views and best practices;
and making recommendations for solving pressing international challenges faced by the Russian Federation and Muslim states.
2. Russia is a multiethnic country. It is home to more than 20 million Muslims. The vast majority of them are the indigenous population. During the formation of the Russian state new territories and peoples were joining to it in order to preserve their culture, religion and language.
The creation of our unity was not simple. But in the end we came to the current state when inter-ethnic and inter-religious community is a pillar of Russian statehood.
3. A good example is the Republic of Tatarstan – one of the most successful and dynamically developing regions of Russia. This is largely explained by the harmonious ethnic relations:
– For centuries people of different nationalities and religions used to live here in peace and harmony;
– A quarter of marriages in our country – are interreligious. Decisive impact on the peaceful nature of interfaith relations has constructive activities of the Orthodox and Islamic religious organizations built on mutual respect:
– On the territory of the Kazan Kremlin there are Muslim mosque and an Orthodox cathedral;
– At the same time the Orthodox town of Sviyazhsk and the ancient Muslim city of Bulgaria are being revived;
– A week ago, we have laid the first stone in the construction of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy;
– In 2 months will be laid the first stone in the reconstruction of the “Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan”
4. Of course, the support of Muslim spiritual development is not only domestic but also foreign policy of our country.
We:
We aspire to a real rapprochement with the Muslim countries;
We aspire to the unity of the Islamic countries, regarding them as an important pole of the modern world.
Russian President Vladimir Putin pays great attention to cooperation with Muslim countries.
On his initiative in 2005 in Malaysia, our country became an observer in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Speaking at the opening of the Cathedral Mosque in Moscow Russian President:
He noted the special role of religious leaders in the preservation of interethnic and interreligious harmony;
He stressed that the rejection and condemnation of all manifestations of radicalism and fundamentalism is a major contribution in the fight against nationalism and religious extremism;
The President paid special attention to the development of traditions of enlightened Islam in this country.
Today, the international community threatened on a global scale because of the expansion of the supporters of extremism and terrorism who are hiding behind religion. It is important to work on prevention and debunking their dangerous ideology.
It is possible to cope with it only in a close alliance with the majority of the Muslim world, which strongly rejects terrorism.
5. Russia offers to do a lot of efforts, including in the framework of Group of strategic vision.
1. For example, the meeting of prominent religious leaders of Muslim world was organized by the Group.
You can know the content of adopted documents in the course of our meeting.
2. We attach a great importance to economic cooperation. Last week the International economic summit “Russia – Islamic world» KAZANSUMMIT was held in Kazan.
It has become a good tradition to hold on the sidelines of the forum:
International Youth Summer Camp of OIC countries;
Conference of Young Diplomats of OIC countries;
And the Kazan forum of young entrepreneurs of the OIC countries.
3. Our country aspires to become the entry point for companies from Islamic states on the Russian market.
Tatarstan:
one of the most industrialized and investment-attractive regions of the country;
last year the republic has won 1st place in the ranking of the Russian national state of the investment climate;
we pay special attention to innovative development;
leading Russian special economic zones are located in the Republic;
I am heading Association of Innovative Regions of Russia
We are pleased to invite investors from your countries to work in the industrial and innovative areas of Tatarstan.
4. Great Expectations we place at the Islamic Academy in Bulgars, which is patronized by the First President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev.
I am sure that Bulgars:
It will become one of the leading centers of Islamic thought;
And will make a significant contribution to the unity of the Muslim Ummah on the principles of peace and creation.
5. In addition, there is serious work on the publication and translation of books. Thus, the publication of our group member, the famous Lebanese public figure Wassim Kalaajieh “The Eurasian Russia: The time of President Vladimir Putin” has already become a bestseller.
6. We are working on filming videos of the outstanding politicians of the Middle East.
The project started with a film about the emir of Kuwait. In the future, we’ll continue this work.
7. Since the resumption of Group of strategic vision were held more than 25 events of various nature (round tables, conferences, festivals).
Among them there were two international forums of journalists. At last one was decided to call for overlapping channels which spread the ideology of extremism.
The Group has also established an international journalistic Prize of Primakov for his contribution to the strengthening of mutual understanding between the Russian Federation and the countries of the Islamic world.
Previously, we had a competition among Russians for the best work which has made a significant contribution:
to increase and disseminate knowledge about the true Islam;
to the achievement of mutual understanding between the peoples of Russia and the harmonization of state-confessional relations.
More than a hundred compositions have been received. 10 of them will be awarded with special diplomas.
Dear colleagues!
Each of us can make a significant contribution to the stability and development of inter-ethnic dialogue and partnership of civilizations.
I wish you a meaningful, fruitful discussions and a successful meeting.
President of the Republic of Tatarstan R.N. Minnikhanov
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"