Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques: Saudi-Russian relations are solid.. President Putin affirms: Russia attaches great importance to developing friendly relations with Islamic countries

JEDDAH - Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region, inaugurated today, Wednesday, Rabi’ Al-Thani 19 1443 AH corresponding to November 24, 2021 AD the meeting of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia and the Islamic World”, in Jeddah Governorate under The slogan “Dialogue and prospects for cooperation”, in the presence of President Rustam Minnikhanov of the Republic of Tatarstan and head of the Strategic Vision Group, and the participation of officials, scholars and thinkers from the Russian Federation and the countries of the Islamic world.

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal began the meeting with a speech he delivered on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

The text of the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful

And prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and those who followed him in goodness until the Day of Judgment

Your Excellencies, Highnesses and Excellencies,

Dear brothers

Peace, mercy and blessings of God

I begin my speech by welcoming you on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and his faithful Crown Prince - may God preserve them - and convey to you their greetings and sincere wishes for the success of this meeting.

We are meeting today in the Makkah region, to be the second meeting of the esteemed group in the country of the Two Holy Mosques, the land of the message and the landing place of revelation.

I also welcome Mr. Rustam Minnikhanov, head of the Strategic Vision Group, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, in which Islam entered since the fourth century AH, and at that time spread Islam, and the teaching of the true Islamic religion until our time, including the city of Kazan hosting the first Islamic university in Russia.

I also welcome the dignitaries, the general secretaries of the organizations, and the honorable presence.

The Kingdom stresses the importance of this strategic meeting between the Islamic world and the Russian Federation in enhancing regional and international security and stability, intensifying means of dialogue among followers of religions and civilizations, and increasing joint cooperation in combating extremism and terrorism.

The Islamic religion is characterized by tolerance and moderation, and this is what has given it acceptance among mankind of all its races and ethnicities, and the Kingdom has an honorable role in adopting the principles of moderation and coexistence, as it has striven to support regional and international efforts in this field, and presented many initiatives in this regard, most notably: the adoption of the Mecca Document And the support of the Office of the Alliance of Civilizations of the United Nations, and the Kingdom is committed to supporting any future efforts aimed at serving these principles, believing that difference does not mean disagreement and that tolerance calls for transcendence.

Dear brothers

The Saudi-Russian relations are strong and historical, they have exceeded their ninety-fifth year, and relations have witnessed qualitative leaps in recent years, culminating in high-level visits between the two countries, which resulted in the signing of many joint agreements in all economic, cultural and defense fields, and paved the way for the development and consolidation of these relations. The level of trust between our two countries.

The Kingdom shares with Russia several main principles, including respect for international legitimacy, establishing relations on the basis of mutual respect, sovereignty, independence and unity of states, and non-interference in internal affairs. The Kingdom and Russia are also members of the Group of Twenty and the OPEC Plus group, which enabled them to work collectively within the framework of these two groups to enhance international cooperation.

Russia also shares the Islamic world’s embrace of solid principles, as they share a deep cultural heritage, and this paves the way for activating the role of religious institutions, developing an environment that supports peaceful coexistence between followers of different religions and races, preserving the role of the family and spiritual values, and protecting human rights.

Russia also has strong and deep-rooted relations with the Islamic world, and this is evident in its presence as an observer member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for more than 15 years, and this resulted in fruitful cooperation with the Organization, and more than (20 million) Muslims live in Russia in harmony with their societies. They enjoy the rights to practice their religious rites freely.

The dynamics of the relationship of Islamic countries with Russia is manifold and diverse, and prepares for extending and strengthening bridges of scientific and technological cooperation in the fields of development, education, software, and applications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Dear brothers

The recent challenges facing our world have shown that we are all in one boat, no country or region is isolated from what is going on in the world, and this applies to political conflicts, the spread of epidemics, economic stagnation, and climate change, in addition to many other global events and disasters, and from From this point of view, the Kingdom calls on the countries of the Vision Group to enhance joint cooperation to confront these challenges in order to come out with the least damage that may affect the future of our peoples, so that we may reach safety together.

Economic cooperation is the backbone of interdependence between the countries of the Islamic world and Russia, and there are favorable opportunities for the countries of the vision group, to form strong economic partnerships in several areas, including halal products and Islamic finance, and we have to invest in them and work on their development.

In conclusion, I hope that this group will contribute to promoting harmony between followers of religions, developing dialogue between civilizations and cultures, and protecting traditional, spiritual and family values ​​that are being blown today by the winds of change, which motivates us to confront them and align themselves to ward off their dangers to move at a steady pace towards progress and transcendence.

Russian President’s speech

Subsequently, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, delivered a speech; It was delivered on his behalf by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, during which he expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, for his interest in organizing the meeting of the Strategic Vision Group.

In it, he expressed his pleasure for holding this meeting and thanked everyone for attending to participate, and on the occasion of the opening of the new periodic meeting that is being held on this land, “the Qibla of the Islamic World.”

He said: Russia attaches great importance to developing friendly relations with Islamic countries, whether at the bilateral level or through dialogue with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and it is useful that our positions on many difficult issues on the regional and global agenda are very close; It calls for all of us to build a just, democratic world based on the rule of law and peaceful coexistence between states, free from any dictates based on force and all forms of discrimination.

He pointed out that the meeting’s agenda is rich and intense, and it discusses ways of cooperation in the field of settling disputes and regional conflicts and the dangers of international terrorism and extremism, and that issues of cooperation in the commercial, economic, scientific and humanitarian fields deserve serious attention; He hoped that this joint work would be constructive and fruitful, and that it would help in strengthening cooperation and mutual trust between countries, wishing everyone every success.

President of the Republic of Tatarstan

President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, head of the Strategic Vision Group, delivered a speech in which he praised President Putin’s great interest in cooperation with Islamic countries; Since 2005, Russia has become a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as an observer.

He said: We celebrated the 15-year anniversary of the establishment of this relationship, and since that time cooperation between our countries has become of great importance and rise to higher levels, and it is now evident that all attempts to impose a new world order based on one pole have failed, as many countries tend towards independence and put forward their positions. We must take advantage of the opportunities ahead in our relations, increase our activity in the fight against terrorism, defend traditional moral values, and protect those in need of care, including national and religious minorities.

He continued, “We must combat the dangers of climate change, activate cooperation in all fields, and that Russia is ready to help other countries, and we seek to set Russia’s relations with the Islamic world as an example for all countries of the world. One of these regions is the Republic of Tatarstan, which is one of the most developed regions of the Russian Federation and has huge economic and cultural potential.

He added that the Tatarstan model of peaceful and harmonious cooperation between different religions and peoples is a model for solving many problems and carrying out tasks related to the development of Russia as a whole. Establishing relations with many Islamic countries in the economic and cultural fields, and we also cooperate with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank; And we develop our work in the field of Islamic banking, and every year it is held in Kazan, the vision group actively participates, and Kazan has recently become a center for Muslim youth in Russia.

Saudi Foreign Minister

After that, the speech of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, was delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Foreign Minister, Engineer Walid bin Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji, in which he praised the role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation over more than fifty years in rapprochement between Islamic countries and coordinating joint Islamic action, and the Kingdom’s efforts to support organization and help it achieve its goals and support Islamic causes.

He praised Russia’s role in the organization and its efforts over the fifteen years since it joined as an observer member of the organization, believing in the importance of joint action and the necessity of dialogue among followers of religions as one of the most important tools for achieving peace around the world, adding that this meeting strengthens the ties of dialogue between the Islamic world and Russia, as it enumerates Frameworks of cooperation and partnerships, which contribute to strengthening regional and international security; Its convening in the Kingdom is a sign of the wise leadership’s interest and quest to deepen understanding and dialogue between different cultures, followers of religions and peoples.

He stressed that the Kingdom seeks to spread a culture of coexistence and tolerance, and has made tangible efforts in this context in the field of establishing international dialogue, and has sought to build an effective internal dialogue between all spectrums of society through the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, and has contributed internationally to spreading the culture of dialogue among followers of different religions and cultures. This was done through several initiatives, most notably the contribution to the establishment of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, the adoption of the Makkah Document, and support for the efforts of the Office of the Alliance among Civilizations of the United Nations, and was keen to follow up and develop all these efforts through the establishment of a national committee to follow up The initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for dialogue between followers of religions and cultures, believing in its active role regionally and internationally in building bridges of communication and raising the banner of coexistence and peace in a world overflowing with conflicts.

His Excellency pointed out that the Saudi-Russian relations have witnessed, over 95 years, a steady development based on the foundations of mutual trust, mutual understanding and continuous coordination on issues and topics of concern to the two countries and the region, which has enhanced opportunities for cooperation in various political, economic, cultural and other fields, and contributed to achieving The growth and prosperity of our two friendly countries, and participated in the protection of international peace and security.

At the conclusion of his speech, he stressed that this group is a step towards strengthening understanding and dialogue between Russia and the Islamic world, and contributes to achieving international peace and security through cooperation and consultation on various issues, and the strengthening of economic partnerships, hoping that these meetings will bear fruit to achieve the aspirations and ambitions of our country and our peoples.

Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hussein Ibrahim Taha, delivered a speech in which he affirmed the spirit of cooperation between countries and peoples, through a culture of dialogue, not estrangement, and the expansion of partnership to neutralize exclusionary voices. This is matched by the genuine desire of the member states and the Muslim communities of the non-member states to continue cooperation and develop cultural and economic ties between Russia and the Islamic world.

He explained that the meeting’s theme, “Prospects for Dialogue and Cooperation”, corresponds to the interests of the Russian and Islamic sides in the field of maintaining peace and security, conflict resolution and combating extremism and terrorism. As well as issues of sustainable development, as the Islamic world and Russia can make major contributions to the dialogue of civilizations, cultures and religions in a way that enhances understanding, rapprochement and harmony between the various peoples of the world.