Greeting by Academician E.M. Primakov to participants of the third meeting of Group of strategic vision “Russia – Islamic world” that took place in Istanbul on 1-2 February 2007.
Dear colleagues!
I warmly welcome you and wish you success in your noble work. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond me, I cannot take part in this meeting.
Russia at this meeting will be represented by my friend the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev. I would like to take the opportunity once again and congratulate him with his seventieth birthday and wish him all the best.
I hope that members of the Group will adopt the three proposed projects and it will be a good basis for our further activities.
I am deeply convinced that the prevention of new threats that the international community faces in the XXI century is possible only by joint targeted efforts of all the main centers of the emerging multipolar world.
The development and strengthening of relationships with Islamic states is one of the most important directions of Russian foreign policy. I should note that quite good results have been achieved in this area. I hope that the dialogue between the Russian Federation and the countries of the Muslim world will continue to grow rapidly.
I believe that the meeting will be another step in the process of establishing partnership of civilizations and preventing the division of the world along religious and civilizational lines.
With best regards,
E. Primakov