In Moscow began its work VIII Muslim Forum, "Consolidation of the Muslim community of the CIS: Achievements and goals." The event brings together religious leaders, government representatives and the scientific community, including our closest neighbors in the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as the Baltic States, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Prior to the event Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, Chairman of RMC in his address speech, highlighted the achievements of these meetings over the years and the challenges of the current forum. "We have much to be proud of and have something to show the world in terms of to mass media highlighted good-neighborliness between different religious cultures and nations.  - That's why, beginning as a national, the Forum moved to the international status and today we hosted guests from ten countries - including our closest neighbors in the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as the Baltic States, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. "

At the opening ceremony greetings sounded from  the organizers, guests and participants of the forum were representatives of public authorities, the public, Muslim and Orthodox clergy, ambassadors of foreign countries.

Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin drew the attention of the audience to the fact that Muslim leaders should act as a "spiritual guide men", not allowing external forces to divide our society. It is also important, according to the mufti, to find common ground and strengthen our unity and solidarity, because that is why the title of the Forum and delivered a key moment in the concept of consolidation.

Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mr. Konstantin Shuvalov presented greetings from the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Sergei Lavrov, with particular importance given to the Forum as a tool to counter extremism and religious intolerance. It should also be noted that this year the Forum supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

Welcome speech of the Ambassador of Turkey in Moscow Aydin Adnan Sezgin was very informative. He said that the ongoing Forum explains the essence of Islam, this is particularly important in our time, when the spiritual leaders discuss the most important mission - education. And the most important struggle of the Muslims now - it is a struggle against ignorance, and therefore one of the main topics of the meeting is the international format of Islamic education in Russia.

Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Mr. Ali Hassan Jaafar conveyed greetings to the audience on behalf of the royal family of the state, and noted the importance of interfaith dialogue in the Modern World.

On behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Forum was welcomed by the Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church and Society of the interaction of the Moscow Patriarchate, a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin. He identified the trend of recovery of communication between faiths and nations. As for the work of the Forum, he expressed hope that participants will find ways to solve pressing challenges of our time, among which he mentioned the global economic and environmental crises, attempts "to devices from different experiments to change the historical path of the peoples of these nations without choice and without their consent," in making people become hostages of geopolitical schemes.

At the plenary session the muftis and rectors of Islamic universities of the CIS read out their reports on the subject of consolidation of Muslim communities, the prospects for the development of Islamic education, the situation of Muslims in their country of tolerance and interfaith dialogue by sharing their experience of work in these areas.

The Forum continues with V International Educational Conference "The international dimension of Islamic education in Russia. The theory and practice of Islamic education in Russia and abroad "and Russian scientific and practical conference" Modernization and tradition in the Muslim world in the context of global transformation. "