Rais (Head) of Tatarstan holds talks with OIC Leadership on further cooperation

On August 28, at their meeting in the Government House of the republic, the Rais (Head) of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the leadership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) together with the representatives of international organizations, including the OIC Youth Forum, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), the OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), and the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA) discussed prospects for further cooperation.

Minnikhanov thanked the participants for their continued attention to Tatarstan and for their joint efforts to promote humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Islamic world.

“With your support, we are holding the Kazan Global Youth Summit for the fifth time,” the Rais of Tatarstan said. This year’s Summit is held from 26 to 30 August and brought together more than 250 delegates from 52 countries.

“It is particularly encouraging to see strong interest in the Summit from countries in South America and Africa, as well as from the BRICS+ and ASEAN countries,” Minnikhanov noted.

Last year the event gained a federal-level platform, and is now organized jointly with the Russian Ministry of Education. Alongside the main Summit programme, a children’s camp is being held under the auspices of the Russia–Islamic World Strategic Vision Group at a Selet youth movement facility.

“We hope that the OIC leadership will continue to support the organization of similar international programmes for children. We believe that foundations could also contribute by providing grants to support children’s participation. Such initiatives can have a significant social impact. For our part, we are ready to provide a high-quality, safe and engaging rest for the children,” Minnikhanov said.

The Rais of Tatarstan also stressed the growing importance of preserving the traditional values shared by Russia and OIC member states.

He welcomed the proposal by the leadership of ICESCO to establish an ICESCO Centre in Kazan.

Rustam Minnikhanov also thanked the ICESCO leadership for chosing Kazan as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2026.

“I am confident that this will provide new impetus to cooperation with the OIC Standing Committee on scientific and technological cooperation and the Union of OIC News Agencies,” he said.

At the Summit, Rustam Minnikhanov proposed discussing further steps to strengthen cooperation in science and bring together the media resources of Russia and the Islamic countries in addressing common information challenges.

President of the OIC Youth Forum Taha Ayhan thanked the leadership of Tatarstan for hosting the Summit.

“Due to Tatarstan, Russia has become part of the Islamic world. We see the consistent efforts being made in this area under the leadership of Rustam Minnikhanov. For us, the Summit is a platform for deepening cooperation. We hope it will lead to significant results,” Taha Ayhan said.

At the end of the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov was handed in the Media Diplomacy Medal in recognition of his significant contribution to advancing media cooperation in the Islamic world and on the international stage, as well as to promoting mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among peoples.