Representatives of Russian Orthodox Church attend a meeting of the Russia - Islamic World Strategic Vision Group in Kazan

DECR Communications Service, 17.05.2025. 

On May 16, an annual meeting of the "Russia - Islamic World" Strategic Vision Group was held on the topic "The Experience of Russia and the Countries of the Islamic World in the Field of Youth Policy: Common Challenges and Joint Actions." The meeting was held in the capital of Tatarstan as part of the International KazanForum.

Among those attending the meeting were Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov; Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Marat Khusnullin;

Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Salim bin Mohammad Al-Malik; Chairman of the Federation Council Commission on International Affairs Grigory Karasin; Head of the Department for Interaction with Religious Organizations of the Presidential Administration for Domestic Policy Yevgeny Yeremin; President of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic Djambulat Umarov; Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Mohammad Salah Tekaya, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Turko Daudov; Deputy head of the Presidency for Religious Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Dr. Selim Argun; Rector of the Russian Islamic Institute Rafik Mukhametshin; Chancellor of the Mohamad bin Zayed University for Humanities Dr. Khalifa Mubarak Ad-Dhaheri, other government and public figures, ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps of the Islamic countries, scientists and experts.

The Muslim religious leaders included Sheikh-ul-Islam Talgat Tadzhuddin, Supreme Mufti of Russia and chairman of the Central Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Russia; Mufti Kamil Samigullin, head of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Tatarstan; Mufti Albir Krganov, head of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of the Russian Federation; Ayatollah Hamid Hawali Shahriari, secretary general of the World Organization for Convergence of Madhhabs; Mufti sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation; and other leaders and representatives of Islamic communities from Russia and the Muslim world.

The participants exchanged views on the laying of groundwork for educating young people in the spirit of traditional moral values, on the prevention of radicalism, and on cultural and academic exchange.

The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan and hieromonk Kirill (Korytko), secretary of the Tatarstan Metropolia. Also, attending the meeting with the blessing of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations was priest Ilya Kashitsyn, DECR secretary for interreligious relations and executive secretary of the Interreligious Council of Russia.

In his welcoming speech, Metropolitan Kirill recalled that the participants in the interreligious dialogue had repeatedly spoken up in defense of traditional values and condemned extremism and terrorism together. The archpastor emphasized that people in the modern world are running serious risk without an adequate understanding of basic value orientation. Therefore, the duty of religious leaders is to help educate young people in the spirit of moral traditions and common sense, and by personal example show them the right spiritual way in accordance with their beliefs and faith.

“Youth is a time of opportunities, but also of serious tests and doubts. Most important, it is the time when the heart is wide open for meeting the Creator. Therefore, it is very important to young people who are going through the time of choice and search to have a good friend and tutor who could show them the right direction by personal example. All of us must remember that young people are very sensitive to insincerity and hypocrisy. Our deeds must match our words. As we are making efforts for moral education of young people and their introduction to traditional religious values, we must live in accordance with these values, thus showing that the way which we want our children to pursue is strait and salutary," the head of the Tatarstan Metropolia said.