The Group's Coordinator, Veniamin Popov, opened the working session of the annual meeting of the Russia - Islamic World strategic vision group in the Chechen capital of Grozny.
Dear friends,
I would like to address our Chechen hosts who have extended extraordinary hospitality and thank the leadership of the Chechen Republic and certainly its President Ramzan Kadyrov.
I would like to address those who are with us today: Salakh-khadzhi Mezhiev, mufti of the Chechen Republic, Shaid Zhamaldayev, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, and Khasan Khakimov, Deputy Prime Minister Of The Republic.
Colleagues! Let me open our meeting in Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic.
For every Russian citizen, the city of Grozny and the Republic’s current leader Ramzan Kadyrov are symbols of the victory over a hotbed of externally fueled Islamic radicalism that we achieved through concerted efforts. The Chechen Republic will forever remain an object lesson of a successful elimination of the breeding ground for extremism by our country.
Most of us earlier went to the village of Tsentoroi. We were driving along wide, big and beautiful roads while only a decade ago this land lay in ruins. It was only thanks to the enormous hard work of the Chechen people helped by the entire country, thanks to its single-minded leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, that we can now see this flourishing city of Grozny and its suburbs.
Most importantly, during our two-hour trip we saw that he was able to bring about a drastic shift in the mentality of the Chechen people who have always been warriors known for their courage. Today they are people who work to create, to build a new life.
It is construction, creation and education that lie at the foundation of all of this. Today as many countries are seeing an outburst of Islamophobic sentiment that is now widespread, we must emphasize that Russia feels itself part of the Islamic world. Our president Vladimir Putin speaks of Islam as a major world religion.
I would like to remind you that our agenda will focus on promoting economic ties between Russia and Muslim states.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"