An expert press conference “55 years of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): practical implementation of multi-vector cooperation between Russia and the OIC for the purpose of dialogue” was held as part of the ongoing KazanForum 2024 summit in Kazan, on May 17. The venue was the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center.
The OIC Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs Muhammad Tekaya, Director of the Information Department of the OIC Abdulhamid Al-Salihi, Director General of the Union of Information Agencies of the OIC (UNA) Mohammed Al-Yami, Dean of Research at the University of Business and Technology (Saudi Arabia) Ruaa Binsaddig, Advisor to the Rector of the Kazan State Energy University for International Affairs Guzel Nezhmetdinova , Representative of the Islamic Development Bank Murad Yandiev, Advisor to the Russian Representation to the OIC Natalya Taratynova spoke at the press conference.
Deputy Secretary General of the OIC for Political Affairs Muhammad Tekaya noted in his speech that 2025 will mark the 20th anniversary of Russia’s observer status in the OIC. “Relations between Russia and the Islamic world are relations rooted in history, and they are developing day by day”, - Tekaya emphasized. He also clarified that the OIC is the second largest international organization, and Russia is a strong and important partner for cooperation in various fields of activity.
Tekaya expressed confidence that the expansion of relations between the OIC and the Russian Federation will strengthen the joint efforts of the parties in promoting peace and mutual understanding. “The Group of Strategic Vision “Russia - Islamic World” plays an active and very significant role; it is a valuable and important platform for the exchange of opinions that concern both sides in the political sphere and relate to modern problems in general”, - the speaker emphasized. Tekaya also noted the importance of the annual economic summit “KazanForum 2024”, within the framework of which opportunities for cooperation and partnerships between the Russian Federation and the OIC member countries are being explored. In conclusion, Tekaya expressed hope that relations between Russia and the OIC will reach an even higher level.
The next speaker was the Director of the Information Department of the OIC, Abdulhamid Al-Salihi. The speaker noted the great role of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the OIC in strengthening cooperation and building bridges of mutual understanding between the parties. “There are millions of Muslims in Russia, as well as a developed Islamic culture”, - Al-Salihi emphasized and returned to the topic of cooperation in the media sphere.
The speaker spoke about meetings with Russian media companies Sputnik and Viory. Al-Salihi expressed hope for further fruitful cooperation in the field of educational programs, as well as seminars to improve the skills of media workers from the least developed countries participating in the OIC. “We hope that in the future these efforts will be strengthened at the level of our information ministries and ministries of foreign affairs”, - concluded Al-Salihi.
“We strive to create a harmonious world based on mutual understanding”, - said Mohammed Al-Yami, Director General of the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA), at the beginning of his speech. According to the speaker, this is emphasized by the KazanForum, which demonstrates the connection between different civilizations and opens the door to bilateral assistance, development and economic cooperation.
Al-Yami noted that UNA’s activities are aimed at holding unique master classes, meetings to develop and elaboration new vectors of cooperation and discuss problems, as well as strengthening relationships with news agencies, including Russian ones. Joint agreements were signed with Russian media companies " Sputnik ", "RT", "Interfax". “Our relationship can serve as a model. We must strengthen the foundations on which media activities are based”, - Al-Yami emphasized.
In conclusion, the speaker noted the leading role of Russia in the international dialogue, in particular, Al-Yami praised the work of the Permanent Mission to the OIC, which contributes to strengthening cooperation between Russian media and the media spheres of the Muslim world.
Ruaa Binsaddig, Dean of Research at the University of Business and Technology (Saudi Arabia), spoke in her speech about the partnership with Russia in the field of education. “The motto of our university is: “Education for subsequent employment and entrepreneurship.” Therefore, we have included an international aspect in our strategy”, - noted Binsaddig. She spoke about important spheres of cooperation in this area, including exchange programs for students and teachers, as well as scientific research.
In conclusion, the speaker told about two existing cooperation agreements - with Synergy University and Kazan State Energy University, and also expressed interest in developing international relations between the University of Business and Technology of Saudi Arabia and Russian universities.
Advisor to the Rector of the Kazan State Energy University for international affairs Guzel Nezhmetdinova, who has been a translator for “KazanForum” since 2009, noted in her speech the rapid development of this event.
“The positive role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the organization of this forum is that they, as it were, brought these countries (we are talking about the former Muslim republics of the USSR - editor's note ) together again, and we became friends again, we became family again, we work again together. We are very happy that we have very good working agreements with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. We also have agreements that were signed with the Turkish University of Gebze, with which we have been working since 2014”, - the speaker said and noted the high degree of participation of the OIC in this work, including in concluding agreements with four universities in the province Aceh in Indonesia.
“Education for humanity will always come first”, - Nezhmetdinova concluded.
Representative of the Islamic Development Bank Murad Yandiev in his speech spoke about the first Islamic conference in the field of economic cooperation, held in 2008 jointly with the government of the Republic of Tatarstan. The following year, it was decided to make this event an annual event, and more recently the forum reached the federal level.
The speaker explained that the Islamic Development Bank is a specialized body of the OIC, whose main agenda since 2008 has been Islamic finance. “Last year, four regions of the Russian Federation were included in the pilot program for Islamic banking: Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Dagestan and Chechnya”, - noted Yandiev. He also expressed confidence in the project becoming permanent and scaling it across the country.
Due to the high level of busyness within the framework of the ongoing forum, the Permanent Representative of Russia to the OIC, Turko Daudov, was unable to attend the press conference. Adviser of the Russian Representation to the OIC Natalya Taratynova spoke on his behalf. “Russia has always been a reliable, loyal partner of Islamic countries, and we always show and demonstrate this. Our partnership is based on some common spiritual values, a common understanding of what is good and what is bad”, - noted Taratynova. She also emphasized that in addition to the education, economics and information spheres, there is a wide field for cooperation: interreligious dialogue, sports, women's issues, issues of child protection, family and traditional values. In this context, Taratynova called on other regions of Russia to participate, especially noting the initiative of Tatarstan.
“We are not summing up the final results, these are intermediate results. I hope we still have a lot of interesting and fruitful things ahead”, - concluded Taratynova.