On March 15 the inauguration of the international program “Kazan – youth capital of the OIC-2022” took place in Moscow.
Opening the event the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that Russia is sincerely pleased with the ongoing dialogue with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in all areas, the mutual disposition for the progressive development of friendly ties based on respect for civilizational and cultural identity. New prospects for the joint application of efforts along the parliamentary line, in the humanitarian sphere are opening up.
“The Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group under the leadership of Rustam Nurgaliyevich Minnikhanov continues to make and build up its contribution to the common work,” the minister said. According to him, the vast majority of Islamic countries are long-term good partners of our country. The Minister recalled that the decision to choose Kazan was made in November 2021 by the Youth Forum of Islamic Cooperation. This decision marked the achieved high level of humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the OIC.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of 56 countries that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as well as 5 states which have the status of observers. The president of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Ksenia Razuvaeva addressed them with welcoming words. The head of the region recalled this year the celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the adoption of Islam in the Volga Bulgaria will take place. He stressed that this date is of great importance for all Muslims in Russia. As part of the celebration on May 19-21 Tatarstan will host a meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group and the Russia-Islamic World International Economic Summit.
Rustam Minnikhanov noted close cooperation with the OIC Youth Forum. According to him, throughout the year in Kazan the Ministry of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan together with the Youth Forum is implementing an eventful international program covering all areas of life and development of youth of the Islamic world, for example, science, culture, sports, entrepreneurship, social design, education, creative industry. This year the Kazan Global Youth Summit is planned with the participation of ministers for youth affairs and young leaders of the OIC countries.
“The status of Kazan as the youth capital of the OIC is a great opportunity for our republic and its capital to demonstrate their commitment to modern youth culture, to present the best practices for developing social, economic and political activity of young people,” the head of the region emphasized. He said that today a number of major projects in the field of youth policy in Tatarstan such as the Youth Assembly of the Peoples of Tatarstan, the “Selet” youth movement, the Kazan Open University of Talents, the Academy of Youth Diplomacy and others are being implemented. The Federal Project Office for International Youth Cooperation in the direction of “Russia – the Organization of Islamic Cooperation” was opened on the basis of the “Selet” Center. Together with the Academy of Youth Diplomacy the club “Russia – OIC” was formed where master classes and meetings with experts are held to discuss topical international issues, active youth are involved in making alternative decisions on contemporary problems. The model of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, cultural and educational programs are regularly held.
“It has become a good tradition to hold the Forum of Young Diplomats of the OIC countries within the framework of the International Economic Summit “Russia – Islamic World: KazanSummit”, the co-organizer of the forum is the Council of Young Diplomats of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The result of an extensive program of youth events in the Republic of Tatarstan will be the adoption of the Kazan Action Plan which involves active cooperation between the OIC countries in the implementation of youth policy,” Rustam Minnikhanov said. He emphasized that the recognition of Kazan as the youth capital of the OIC in 2022 will make a great contribution to the development of relations between the Russian Federation and the countries of the organization. Connections established among youth of our countries will serve as a reliable basis for productive cooperation in the future.
According to Ksenia Razuvaeva, Russia is always open to the world including in terms of organizing international youth cooperation. In recent years our country has regularly hosted major international events. The Head of Rosmolodyozh expressed confidence that many of the guests of the presentation warmly recall the World Festival of Youth and Students took place in 2017.
“We are confident in the development of interaction between our countries and in the ability to create additional conditions for self-realization of young people, communication, exchange of experience,” Ksenia Razuvaeva emphasized.
Rasul Omarov, the General Director of the International Organization “Youth Forum of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation” also delivered a greeting. Timur Suleymanov, the Minister of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke about the goals and activities of the international program “Kazan – the youth capital of the OIC-2022” and other significant international events in Tatarstan. “Over the past 10 years more than 50 projects have been implemented in Tatarstan strengthening international relations between Russia and the OIC in the areas of education and culture, entrepreneurship and science, youth policy and diplomacy. This year Kazan is planning to hold 10 major international events with the participation of more than 2,000 people as part of the OIC youth capital. As a result of the year of the OIC youth capital in Kazan and its humanitarian heritage it is proposed to adopt a Global Action Plan supported by a long-term program for the development of international youth cooperation between Russia and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” he said.
The culmination of the inauguration ceremony was the solemn handover by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Russian Federation, Mr. Kamrul Ahsan, of the relay key of the OIC youth capital from the city of Dhaka to the city of Kazan.
The inauguration was attended by the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia Grigory Petushkov, the Chairman of the Russian Union of Youth Pavel Krasnorutsky, representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the leadership of international organizations, ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the OIC countries, representatives of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group, heads and community leaders in the fields of public diplomacy, youth policy and Islamic cooperation.
