Ramazan Gadzhimuradovich, the XIV International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” 2023 opens in Kazan in May. What is the significance of this event for our country?
Ramazan Abdulatipov: Under the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov, we managed to identify the Islamic vector of Russian foreign policy on a qualitatively new level.
Our entry into the OIC in 2005 enabled us to truly return to the Islamic world as a strong, historically reliable player and an attractive partner for building mutually beneficial political, economic, cultural, scientific and technical ties.
Today, when Russia, through the fault of the United States, has found itself in a sharp confrontation with the collective West, in effect responding to NATO aggression and post-Soviet expansion from the military bloc to our borders, the Islamic world has shown itself to be a united, conscious and serious player on the world stage, like a reliable partner.
Despite pressure from the United States, Britain and other Western countries, not a single Muslim country has backed sanctions against Russia. The new version of the Russian Federation’s foreign policy concept considers the Islamic world for the first time as an independent emerging power center in a multipolar world. Of particular significance is the fact that Russia has acquired the status of an observer country in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is the de facto main organization protecting the interests of the Muslim world.
Over the years, Russia has managed to establish comprehensive cooperation with the OIC. And a special role in this process was played by the International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum”, which for many years has been the largest platform for bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Russia and Muslim countries. The role of the Strategic Vision Group (GSV) organized on the initiative of the President of Russia, headed by the head of Tatarstan Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov, is also important in this regard. The GSV has become an authoritative body of Russian-OIS, Russian-Muslim interaction. Last year, the PGF met in Jeddah with the support of the leaders of Russia and Saudi Arabia. This action is highly appreciated within the OIC, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the Muslim world and, of course, in Russia.
At what level will Russia be represented at this forum? Which departments will participate in the event?
Ramazan Abdulatipov: By decree of the President of Russia, the forum received federal status. Accordingly, all federal bodies of the Russian Federation and regions, as well as the largest commercial structures, participate in it. Almost 70 countries participate in the KazanForum almost every year.
Russia has succeeded in establishing cooperation with the OIC, and the international economic forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum” has played a special role in this regard.
Many participants are represented at the level of heads of ministries, departments, heads of large companies. Teams from the Republic of Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and Iran are still actively working on it. On the side of federal structures, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, Rosexpocentre, Rospatent, Kazan Federal University are working on this site. Among the regions, Tatarstan assumes the main work, Dagestan, Bashkiria, the Chechen Republic, the Republic of Crimea, the Stavropol Territory, the Astrakhan region, Khakassia and others also take part.
Ramazan Abdulatipov: The Islamic world has been and remains a reliable partner. Photo: RIA Novosti
Which Islamic states will in the future be able to occupy these niches in our economy that were previously reserved for Western companies?
Ramazan Abdulatipov: Unfortunately, in the post-Soviet years, Russia was really unilaterally oriented towards Western countries to the detriment of the potential for cooperation with the East. Although at one time the Soviet Union determined many vectors of technical and technological development, especially in the countries of the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Under the influence of the West, we have for many years been held hostage by the model of capitalist development imposed on us after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today, the whole world is experiencing a crisis of this model.
Under current conditions, Russian companies are reorienting themselves towards the markets of Muslim countries, Asia and Africa.
In the future, it is these markets that will play a prominent role in global politics and economics. Western companies have ceased to occupy significant shares of the world market in many sectors.
<
p class=””>This is what our domestic producers and foreign manufacturers, including Muslim countries, should benefit from. Today we are already actively cooperating with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Oman, Syria – we have a growing volume trade with these countries. And trade representatives of these countries are taking the opportunity to intensify cooperation with Russian manufacturers and suppliers in order to establish joint logistics, production and trade relations on the most favorable terms.
The events organized by the Russian Export Center, especially the “Made in Russia” forum, are attractive to Muslim countries. Logistics plays a special role in modern international economic relations. In this regard, I would like to highlight the role of the International North-South Transport Corridor (ITC), which is twice as short and cheaper than the traditional transport corridor through the Suez Canal. Thanks to its obvious advantages, the ITC North-South becomes a more attractive route. Iran, India, dozens of countries in the Middle East and Africa are actively joining. Unfortunately, Russia has not yet fundamentally dealt with this path, although the President of Russia has repeatedly emphasized this and, by the way, this is also mentioned in the concept of Russian foreign policy.
Today, almost all 57 OIC Member States participate in various KazanForum events
What are the opportunities for the business community at the forum?
Ramazan Abdulatipov: Russia historically has a special authority in the Islamic world. Today, almost all 57 OIC Member States participate in KazanForum events in one way or another. It is important that Russian embassies and trade missions in Muslim countries work more actively with trade structures. We have a strong foreign policy and diplomacy, but also a weak economic and technological policy, especially in Muslim countries.
Representatives of which companies from Muslim countries are interested in doing business with Russia?
Ramazan Abdulatipov: The representative office in Tehran of the North-South Club, which constantly participates in the KazanForum, already has more than 20 major Iranian companies. Among them are “Nor Business”, SAFA, “Khodro”, “Exxon”. There are also Indian companies – Multiville, Metalostils, Parijad. The other day we opened a representative office of the club in New Delhi with the participation of invited companies that will work with Russia on this route. Countries in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa are also actively participating. Countries like Malawi, Angola, Kenya and Zimbabwe have called for the opening of a representative office of the North-South Club in the UAE.
Together with the Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Forum, a number of events are organized, taking into account that, on the initiative of the OIC Secretary General, the African program of the OIC has been approved. We have made proposals on the areas of this program that we could join, especially since the next Russia-Africa summit will be held this year at the initiative of the President.
Today, the Islamic world is no longer backward countries, dependent on colonization, but dynamically developing regions of the world which, together with Russia, form a new world order and a new model of economic development.
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