The Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, Grand Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin, received a delegation of ministers from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at his residence in the Moscow Cathedral Mosque. The delegation included Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Al-Qudah, Minister of Agriculture Saib Khreisat, and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairmen of the RBM Mufti Rushan Abbyasov, Ildar Nurimanov, Ildar Galeev, and Dinar Gaynetdinov; Chairman of the Board of Directors of "Muslim Group" Ammar Hijjawi; Head of the Hajj and Umrah Department of the RBM and General Director of the Hajj Operator "Muslim Tour" Ali Gurdin; as well as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Jordan to the Russian Federation Khalid Shawabka.

Welcoming the guests, the spiritual leader of Russia's Muslims noted the special character of relations with Jordan. A significant milestone in their development was the historic visit of King Abdullah II to the Moscow Cathedral Mosque in 2018, which gave new impetus to cooperation in the religious and public spheres.

The Grand Mufti spoke warmly of many years of friendly ties with His Majesty and expressed gratitude for the congratulatory messages that King Abdullah II sends to Russian Muslims on the occasions of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. These addresses serve as evidence of the brotherly attitude toward the Muslim ummah of Russia.

The head of the RBM asked to convey to King Abdullah II words of greeting and gratitude for the Hashemite Royal House's custodianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites of Jerusalem. The Grand Mufti emphasized that this historic mission finds deep understanding in Russia and serves as an example of interreligious responsibility, justice, and careful stewardship of the spiritual heritage of the Abrahamic religions. He also expressed solidarity with Jordan's position on preserving the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and the inadmissibility of its unilateral change.

Special attention was given to the trusting relationship between President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and King Abdullah II, which serves as a solid foundation for the development of the entire complex of Russian-Jordanian interaction. The Grand Mufti noted prospects for expanding cooperation in industry, trade, agriculture, and tourism, including the implementation of joint projects, strengthening food security, and developing mutual travel of citizens of the two countries.

The parties also discussed further interaction in the Islamic sphere, one of the important aspects of which is the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation signed in 2021 between the RBM and the Department of Fatwas of Jordan. The document provides for joint work in theological, scholarly, and educational fields, exchange of experience in countering radicalism, participation of specialists in professional development programs, as well as the exchange of huffaz and members of juries of international Quran recitation competitions.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin reminded that he was one of the signatories of the Amman Declaration, aimed at affirming moderation, mutual respect, and the unity of Muslims. Delegations of the Religious Board regularly participate in international courses and conferences held in Jordan dedicated to preventing extremism and strengthening interaction between Muslims.

The spiritual leader of Russian Muslims highly commended the active work of Ambassador Khalid Shawabka, aimed at strengthening Russian-Jordanian relations, and his constant participation in significant events of the RBM.

For his part, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin conveyed to Grand Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin greetings from the leadership, government, and people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and expressed high appreciation for the role he plays in serving the benefit of Russia's Muslims and in strengthening the values of moderation and good neighborliness.

Mr. Hijazin also noted that Jordan and Russia are bound by historical relations based on mutual respect and spanning many spheres. He named religious tourism as one of the important and promising vectors for strengthening bilateral ties.

"We want every Russian guest, from the moment of arrival in the Kingdom, to feel that they are in a brotherly country, where the doors of our mosques, religious and historical sites are open to them," said the Minister.

In conclusion, the parties expressed their readiness to continue working together for the benefit of the peoples of Russia and Jordan and wished each other success in implementing the planned initiatives.