KazanForum 2024 results: 120 agreements and more than 20 thousand participants
Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, called KazanForum a platform that brings Russia and Muslim countries closer together.
"Thanks to the forum, we have become even closer with our colleagues - Muslim countries. What does this closeness give us? I can say that last year our trade turnover with the OIC countries increased by 30%. We have had more tourist exchanges, we have started to supply more products to these countries, we have started to receive more of them in Russia. More than 20 thousand people participate in the Forum, it is more than last year. We even have new regions coming with their investment programs, looking for investors. We have more than 120 agreements signed, and these are specific agreements, business processes are already working", - said Marat Khusnullin.
This year the Forum reached record figures, the number of registered participants exceeded 20 thousand, 87 countries of the world and 87 Russian regions were represented.
KazanForum hosted 9 meetings between representatives of Russia and foreign countries in various formats: from round tables to industrial dialogs. In particular, there were Russia-Azerbaijan, Russia-Afghanistan, Russia-Iran, Russia-Qatar, Russia-Kyrgyzstan, Russia-Malaysia and other meetings.
A total of 120 agreements and memorandums were concluded at the forum. Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, noted that the KazanForum program is very rich and covers many topics - from economic and diplomatic to cultural and sports. He particularly noted such topics of the Forum as Islamic finance and partnership banking, export development, entrepreneurship and investment, logistics and transportation corridors, halal lifestyle.
Head of the Republic of Tatarstan met with Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of foreign states within the framework of KazanForum. "For our country, cooperation with the Islamic world has been and remains one of the most important vectors of foreign policy," Rustam Minnikhanov emphasized at the meeting.
The Russia Halal Expo exhibition was held as part of the forum. This is Russia's largest exhibition of economic and scientific and technological cooperation between the regions of the Russian Federation and the OIC countries. The exhibition was attended by 11 countries of the world and 17 regions of Russia.
"The exhibition has become a space for the promotion and development of various projects, a place for building a constructive and fruitful dialog between the participants of the event. I am glad that we have something to show at the international level. Our halal industry is actively growing, and we have great potential in this direction," said Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, while visiting the exhibition.
International Property Market real estate exhibition was held for the first time as part of KazanForum. The largest companies, developers and architects from the Russian Federation, the UAE, the Republic of Turkey and Indonesia were represented at the exhibition.
Kazan Halal Market fair, which took place at the Kazan Agro-Industrial Park, was attended by 489 companies from 9 countries. Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka and Iran presented their goods at the halal market.
Forum of Young Diplomats of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation gathered 30 delegates from 20 countries at KazanForum. Delegates came from CIS countries, Africa and Asia. The topics for discussion at this year's forum included areas that will be relevant in the next few years, including digital and IT diplomacy.
A meeting of the Strategic Vision Group "Russia - Islamic World" was held within the framework of KazanForum. The meeting was chaired by Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Chairman of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group. Today the Group includes 37 Russian and 32 foreign participants. The meeting was dedicated to the theme "Russia - the Islamic World: fair multipolar world order and secure development".
In his welcoming remarks, Rustam Minnikhanov stressed that the Group in modern conditions has become a supporting structure in the relations between Russia and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a tool for strengthening friendship, mutual understanding and trust. Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who participated in the meeting, suggested that the OIC countries create an Islamic initiative for the UN in the name of peace, mutual understanding and trust.
The Yunus Akhmetzyanov International Tournament of Young Chefs of Islamic Countries gathered talented professionals from 12 countries. Thus, among the participants were chefs from Egypt, Tunisia, Senegal, Malaysia, Lebanon, Azerbaijan and others.
In the final each of them prepared a dish with national ingredients of their country to present it to the jury. The sets from the contest participants and jury could be tasted by Forum guests.
As part of the sports program of the Forum, the Hockey Tournament of the Islamic Countries Hockey Development Association was held. 8 men's teams from 9 countries took part in the competition. The hockey tournament was attended by more than 140 athletes, including the leadership of the hockey federations of the ORHIS countries. The teams played 20 matches during 5 game days.