RT President has met with Governor of Mecca Province and President of the Islamic Development Bank Group

October 28 saw the 4th Forum of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia –the Islamic World” continuing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mintimer Shaimiev, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan, delivered speech as a main rapporteur at the first meeting that focused on today’s state of affairs in international relations.

"In today's world we see how ideas change, doctrines change, we hear about a clash of civilizations," with these words Jamil M. Merdad, the chairman of the morning meeting, director of the Department for Islamic Affairs of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Saudi Arabia, opened the morning meeting.

In his speech, Mintimer Shaimiev talked about the conditions in which Islam revived on the territory of modern Russia after the freedom of worship had been officially prohibited over 80 years. "We received evidence that the faith is eternal, it is in people's hearts. It was in fact a worldwide experiment that showed how strong religious feelings are," the RT President said.

Mintimer Shaimiev went on to say that the humanity had seen a number of times what inducing democratic principles on some states through force led to. "There appeared sharp contradictions and tying them up only to an Islamic factor is deeply wrong. In my opinion the countries that dictate their conditions to others are aware of the deadlock character of such a way, and we should come to the worldwide realizing of this fact," the Tatarstan leader emphasized.

The head of the Russian delegation also expressed his concern about the increasing world crisis turning into economic one out of the financial one in coming months. "In such case we will need all our strength and joint efforts of Islamic states may become a decisive factor," Mintimer Shaimiev told the participants of the forum.

After the first meeting, Mintimer Shaimiev gave an interview to television channels "Rossija" and “Russia Today", as well as to Tatarstan and Arab mass-media representatives.

Mintimer Shaimiev also met with Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the Governor of Mecca Province, and with Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Ali, the President of the Group of the Islamic Development Bank.

The visit of the RT President to Saudi Arabia finished late on October 28.