The 2023 edition of the Russia-Islamic World forum will take place in Kazan, southwest Russia, which is seen by the Russian state as an example of multiculturalism and religious coexistence. The two-day event, which was first held in 2009, aims to improve economic and cultural ties between Russia and Muslim countries.
Muslims make up around 10% of the Russian population, and Tatarstan, which hosts the forum, has the largest population of ethnic minorities in the country. The forum in Kazan seeks to strengthen economic, cultural, and intellectual ties between Russia and the 57 member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Russia’s integration into the OIC came in the context of new tensions with the US and was also a response to Saudi Arabia’s desire to recalibrate its relationship with the US. It allowed Russia to claim a sense of belonging in the Muslim world and promoted its religious and ethnic diversity as a foreign relations tool to position the country as a key mediator between West and East.
In 2006, Russia created a strategic vision group led by Rustam Minnikhanov, head of Tatarstan, to maintain its influence within Muslim countries. This group’s work increased after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent sanctions from the West.
Russian leaders with Muslim backgrounds, such as Rustam Minnikhanov and Ramzan Kadyrov, have taken an active role in building relationships with Gulf states in which shared religious identity plays a key role. As the war in Ukraine is reshaping international relations, it is sure to influence the coming summit in Kazan.
The Kremlin has released a new foreign policy outlook featuring the word “Islamic” for the first time and stating an intention to deepen ties with Muslim countries. The evolution in foreign policy is part of a narrative that these countries are important in rearranging the world order. After the Russia-Islamic World Forum in May, the second ever Russia-Africa summit will take place in St Petersburg in July.
In the Muslim world, Russia is better perceived than the West, but this positive impression has been exaggerated by propaganda. Anti-Western sentiment is also contributing to misconceptions about realities in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov has spoken repeatedly about Western “colonial” attitudes towards the rest of the world, tapping into an undercurrent of discontent with the US, in particular.
SOURCE: Ref – Etienne BOUCHE
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