Big international conference on issues of tolerance to be held in Kazan

The international conference on issues of interethnic relations is likely to be held in Kazan under the auspices of the European Jewish Congress.

Prospects of holding such an event have been discussed at a meeting of the Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov with President of the European Jewish Congress, co-chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation Vyacheslav Kantor and Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council on international affairs Mikhail Margelov.

The Tatarstan Prime Minister Ildar Khalikov and vice Chairman of RT State Council Aleksandr Gusev attended the meeting in RT Government House.

Opening the event, the Tatarstan head informed that good relations among representatives of different ethnic groups have traditionally established in republic marking great contribution of the first RT President Mintimer Shaimiev.

According to Rustam Minnikhanov, holding big international conference on issues of tolerance will be useful for republic and will let saying that Kazan is the city where many nations co-exist peacefully.

Vyacheslav Kantor told that a set of issues will be discussed at the conference. Organizers would like to devote one session to preservation of national uniqueness of minor nations and sharing of civilized experience between the Tatars and the Jews. “Kazan is the very place for holding this conference,” Vyacheslav Kantor said.

Organizers are going to invite a large number of world-known experts, in particular ex-president of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski.

Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council on international affairs Mikhail Margelov marked that he is interested in the conference as a member of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS, and organizers can count on support of the assembly.

The parties agreed on creating a working group involved in setting the date of the conference, inviting guests and solving other organizational issues.