‘Our colleagues from BRICS and Eastern countries are occupying the place of Western partners’
Guests from 79 countries expected at Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum
Nearly 11,000 participants from 79 countries applied for the 15th Russia — Islamic World: KazaForum International Economic Forum that will be held in Kazan from 14 to 19 May. The biggest delegations will come from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Senegal, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and other countries. Trust and Cooperation is the key theme of the forum. More details about the preparation were explained at a briefing in the Tatarstan Cabinet of Ministers on 2 May.
“This is a serious figure for us too!”
10,977 participants from 79 countries have already applied for the 15th Russia — Islamic World: KazaForum International Economic Forum. But the application period goes on and there can be even more guests, the organisers warn.
“This is a serious figure for us too! We have held the forum as federal for the second year, and of course, this impacts the number and the status of the event’s participants,” claimed head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency Taliya Minullina. She added that the forum used to gather around 6,000-7,000 people.
This year, the biggest delegations of both officials and businessperson are expected from Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Around 20 Russian governments and many entrepreneurs are due to come to Kazan. The largest amount of guests is expected from Moscow and Moscow Oblast, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Tomsk, Samara, Ulyanovsk regions, Bashkortostan, Mordovia, Chuvashia, Dagestan and Chechnya.
The list of honourable guests includes Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Akylbek Zhaparov, Chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan’s National Assembly Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedow, Vice Premier and Minister of Oil of Kuwait Imad Alatiqi, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of the State of Qatar His Excellency Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanim and others.
“Here, a saying comes to my mind: nature abhors a vacuum. And we can claim this, Western countries used to be in the lead in some areas of cooperation. Now, of course, our colleagues from BRICS and Eastern countries are occupying this place. And I think this tendency will stay in the short run,” Tatarstan Vice Minister of Industry and Trade Rodion Karpov added.
Not only the list of participants but also the programme of events increased because the event will last for seven days. Kazan Halal Market at Agro-Industrial Park international trade fair will open it. Unlike the business programme, anybody can attend it, no registration is needed for it.
The forum organisers specified that Russia will be represented by Vice Premier Marat Khusnullin at top level and thanked the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for cooperation in the organisation of the forum and invitation of participating countries.