Members of the Group of Strategic Vision ‘Russia – Islamic World’ Took Part in the Opening of the V Forum of Young Diplomats of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The Forum takes place within the framework of the International Economic Summit ‘Russia – Islamic World: KazanSummit’, which is taking place these days in Kazan at the Kazan Expo Exhibition Centre. The participants are united by the desire not just to consolidate ties between their countries, but also to develop youth diplomacy and come up with successful practices to preserve today’s national and religious diversity.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov sent a personal letter to the participants of the two-day Forum, which was read out by Konstantin Kolpakov, Chairman of the Council of Young Diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Counselor to the Minister.
‘This is the fifth time your forum has brought together politicians, experts, representatives of a new diplomatic generation from Russia and OIC member states. Such meetings make it possible to hone international communication skills in an informal setting and exchange experience. Your work aimed at the development of creative and intellectual potential of young people deserves support. Today there is a great need to consider security in the Middle East and prospects for the cooperation between Russia and the OIC countries. I am convinced that your new meeting will promote close contacts and contribute to the consolidation of friendship and mutual understanding between peoples’, the message of greetings to the forum participants said.
This year guests of honor included Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, head of the Official Senate Delegation to the Summit. The delegation included Farit Mukhametshin, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Deputy Chairman of the Group, and other senators, as well as Ramazan Abdulatipov, Permanent Representative of Russia to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
According to Grigory Karasin, Member of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the aim of this platform within the framework of the Summit is to develop close interpersonal contacts among young diplomats, international experts and representatives of the young generation of OIC countries, to establish on this basis the atmosphere of common interests, mutual understanding and trust between the youth of our countries and mutually beneficial cooperation in the long term.
The Senator is sure that the example of Tatarstan convincingly proves perfect opportunities of Russian regions in the sphere of international youth cooperation. ‘The experience of systematic cooperation with international youth organizations deserves attention, since it would be useful to disseminate it in other Russian regions’, Karasin stressed.
Speaking to the young diplomats, he recalled the words of the Russian President that throughout the entire XX century our country had supported a lot of Islamic states in their march towards national independence, assisted them in establishing an industrial base and social infrastructure, and that today Russia also continued its long traditions of cooperation.
‘Thanks, among other things, to the activities of the Group of Strategic Vision headed by President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, the year 2020 passed under the motto of further developing cooperation between the Russian Federation and the OIC member states’, the parliamentarian said. He noted that many events during the year were timed to coincide with the 15th anniversary of Russia’s participation as an observer in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the 50th anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation itself.
‘The fifteen-year period of close contacts between Russia and Islamic countries has been full of important events for our country and the OIC member states. Russia and Islamic countries have drawn closer on the basis of balanced approaches to a number of issues of the modern world order, confirming by the example of their interaction the possibility of conflict-free cooperation between civilizations in the context of a multipolar world’, Grigory Karasin stressed.
Priority issues on the global agenda during this period included preservation of multi-faith and multiculturalism in society, protection of traditional values, deepening of humanitarian cooperation, development of youth relations and exchanges, as well as improvement of information flows and communications.
‘An important milestone will be the upcoming World Conference on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in May 2022 with the participation of heads of states, parliaments and leaders of world religions to be held in St. Petersburg. It is being prepared under the auspices of the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union’, Grigory Karasin said.
The importance of such projects was also highlighted by Evgeny Primakov, head of the Federal Agency of Rossotrudnichestvo. ‘You represent a new generation of professionals who already have a huge responsibility, working on the ground. The topic of Islamic direction is very important and complicated. The space of the Islamic world has faced enormous pressure in recent decades when foreign powers tried to interfere in domestic affairs. On the other hand, we can also see a huge surge in the development of the Islamic world, which is now one of the engines of modernity’, Primakov stressed, wishing the young diplomats successful and productive work.
In his welcoming speech, Ramazan Abdulatipov highlighted that the KazanSummit Forum, which had become a traditional event under the leadership of Mintimer Shaimiev and Rustam Minnikhanov, had become one of the most effective venues in the Islamic world today. ‘It is hard to think of another venue that would so fundamentally address the issues of the Islamic world and cooperation between Russia and Muslim countries. And this is not only about economics and diplomacy, but also about culture, art and science. Separately, I would like to thank Kazan for setting a good example for all of us’, Abdulatipov highlighted.
Referring to the threat of terrorism, which remains high on the global agenda, Abdulatipov noted that those countries torn by internal and externa contradictions had been isolated and exploited for centuries. ‘It is not about Islam, it is about the well-being of these peoples. Many western powers continue this colonial policy against Muslim countries. The Western world does not want to give up its colonial policy. Russia has excellent experience in this region – thanks to the USSR these countries gained their independence’, the Forum expert reminded.
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of stereotypes and prejudices around Muslims and Islam, including in Russia. In this regard it is very important to develop comprehensive cooperation between Russia and the OIC countries, including in the information space. In Ramazan Abdulatipov’s opinion, at the moment, we are facing the fact that high-level diplomatic work is not supported by corresponding economic, cultural and scientific activities.
‘As diplomats, we must first of all learn as much as possible about the country in which we serve, representing the interests of our state. We need to know the history, culture and traditions of the country where we live. If we cannot establish friendly relations with a certain people and respect them, then what kind of success do we want to achieve in politics? We must understand that diplomacy is not just politics, it is culture, ethics, aesthetics and much more’, Abdulatipov encouraged the young diplomats, concluding his speech.
We would like to remind that the Forum of OIC Young Diplomats is taking place within the framework of the Summit. The Forum participants include young diplomats, analysts who are already working to establish close relations between different countries. Among the key topics of the Forum are development of diplomacy in the post-covid period, contribution of OIC countries to modern international relations, role of diplomats of the Islamic world in shaping the foreign policy agenda, ensuring collective security in the Middle East and prospects for cooperation between Russia and OIC countries I countering new challenges and threats.
Ilmira Gafiyatullina
