Mintimer Shaimiev meets the Director General of ISESCO Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik

On 29 August at their meeting in the Ceremonial Hall of the Kazan Kremlin, Tatarstan State Counselor Mintimer Shaimiev, who is also the Chairman of the Guardian Council of the regional Revival Fund and the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in inter-cultural dialogue, and the Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik discussed issues of developing cooperation between the republic and ISESCO.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization established in 1981 is called the Islamic analogue of UNESCO and deals with issues of education, science and culture in Muslim countries which are the OIC members.

Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik came to Tatarstan to take part in the Kazan Global Youth Summit which started in Kazan on 28 August, and prior to the meeting Mintimer Shaimiev showed him round the exposition of the activities of the Revival Fund in preservation of historical and cultural heritage and told him about implementation of the projects of revival of the Ancient Town of Bolgar and the Town-Island of Sviyazhsk, establishment of the Bolgar Islamic Academy and poly-language educational complexes Adymnar and reconstruction of the Cathedral of the Kazan Virgin Icon.

Speaking at the meeting, Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik thanked Mintimer Shaimiev for a warm reception, having noted that the First President of Tatarstan is well-known in Islamic countries as the first winner of the International King Faisal Prize for his great contribution into strengthening friendly relations between Russia and Muslim countries and for revival of Islamic culture. He also expressed high appreciation of work of Mintimer Shaimiev and the Revival Fund in preservation of historical and cultural heritage and said: “Yesterday I was at an excursion in the Kremlin and saw the monumental Kul Sharif Mosque and the Annunciation Cathedral close to it. It is nice to see you have revived both Muslim Bolgar and Orthodox Sviyazhsk. It is a wise solution for uniting people.”

The head of the ISESCO department on partnership and international cooperation Anar Karimov also took part in the meeting.