On December 15, at a joint session of the Presidential Council on inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations and Coordination meeting on ensuring law and order in the Republic of Tatarstan, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that a positive character of inter-confessional relations is a competitive advantage of the republic and its maintenance is a priority of regional leadership.

Tatarstan State Counsellor Mintimer Shaimiev, Chairman of Tatarstan State Council Farid Mukhametshin, Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov, Russian Deputy Presidential Envoy in Volga Federal District Oleg Melnichenko, Director of the Department for inter-ethnic relations of Russian Ministry of Culture Alexander Zhuravsky, heads of ministries and agencies, and federal executive authorities, deputies of Tatarstan State Council took part in the session.

“Inter-ethnic and inter-confessional constructive interaction is one of conditions of successful development of the republic,” Rustam Minnikhanov said opening the event.

Minnikhanov noted global increasing migration processes, multiculturalism and mutual understanding between different cultures. He noted that Tatarstan is a very attractive region for living, but at the same time the republic is liable to infiltration of alien ideology and followers of extremist movements. These issues are constantly controlled by leadership of the republic.

Rustam Minnikhanov also reminded participants of the session that at a session of Russian Security Council in November 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin put much emphasis on issues of counteracting extremism.

It was noted that in order to understand current processes better it is important to conduct monitoring and analysis of relations between different national and social groups, which requires efforts of scientists, experts and effective interaction between authorities, civil society and mass media.

Speaking at the session, Oleg Melnichenko noted success of the republic in maintaining inter-ethnic and inter-confessional peace.

Deputy Chief of Staff of Tatarstan President’s Administrative Office - Head of the Department for domestic policy Alexander Terentiev made a report on complex monitoring system of inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations and prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts in the Republic of Tatarstan. He said that the priority issues at the moment are coordination, completeness and timeliness of taken measures in the sphere of national policy.

According to Terentiev, 330 million roubles will be allocated for implementation of programmes in this sphere in 2014.

“Our joint work should be aimed at solving of two main tasks. Firstly, realization of measures on maintaining languages, traditions, and customs of peoples living in Tatarstan, building structural interaction among them, involving civic institutions, mass media and scientific society in this work. Secondly, prevention of radical extremism, conflicts and conditions that can raise tensions,” Terentiev said.