During the plenary session of the GSV "Russia-Islamic World", Rustam Minnikhanov, President of Tatarstan and Chairman of the Group, greeted the participants of the event on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Russia pays great attention to the development of friendly relations with Muslim countries. Combating threats of extremism and terrorism, establishing bilateral relations, development of socio-cultural and humanitarian relations, cooperation in trade and other spheres are on the agenda. I hope that today's meeting will be constructive and fruitful. Our main task is to strengthen mutual relations and trust between our countries," the statement reads.
Rustam Minnikhanov also underlined the symbolism of holding the meeting in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam. "Here are the origins of our religion, the birthplace and burial place of Prophet Muhammad. Historically, Russia is the country closest to Islamic civilization in many values. The relations of our state with the Middle East date back to the pre-Mongol era," Minnikhanov stressed.
The Chairman announced the upcoming 130th anniversary of diplomat Karim Khakimov in 2022, who helped establish diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the KSA. Also next year, the Islamic world will widely celebrate the 1,100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgars, which marked the beginning of the spread of Islam in the Volga region.
Ilmira Gafiyatullina