Russia-Islamic World group to meet in Saudi Arabia in 2018
KAZAN. Nov 22 (Interfax) - The next meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group will be devoted to the global political and economic crisis and security threats coming from terrorist organizations, Rustam Minnikhanov, president of Russia's internal republic of Tatarstan said.
"The group is due to convene its next meeting in Saudi Arabia in 2018 to discuss problems related to the global political and economic crisis, and security threats coming from ISIL (banned in Russia) and other terrorist organizations," the Tatarstan president's press service cited Minnikhanov as saying at the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Malaysia.
"Obviously, the scope of involvement and, most importantly, the degree of unity of Islamic states in the fight against terrorism cannot be called sufficient. Muslims should leave behind their old disputes and disagreements over secondary issues in order to fight this evil together. A strong and educated Islam is no threat to anyone," Minnikhanov said.
Minnikhanov, who heads the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group said it consisted of over 50 experts from 32 countries and focused on promoting Russia's rapprochement with the Islamic world on a cultural and civilizational basis.
Putin put Minnikhanov in charge of the group and ordered him to resume the group's activity in June 2014.
The group met in Moscow in June 2015 in a renewed format, with the next meeting taking place in Kazan in May 2016.