The 17th International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World”, also known as the Kazan Forum, held in the capital of Tatarstan, went far beyond a purely economic agenda. As in previous years, the forum embraced a broad and diverse programme – ranging from political dialogue to fashion, and from major energy projects to showcases of national cuisines.
Bringing together high-level delegations from dozens of countries of the Islamic world, as well as from other states, international organizations, financial institutions, specialized regional bodies and the expert community, the forum is designed to promote the development of multifaceted cooperation between Russia and the Islamic world. It should be noted that, in this role, it has emerged as a leading international platform for exchange of views, formulation of practical solutions and promotion of forward looking ideas and initiatives.
Turkmenistan traditionally participates actively in the forum, being represented by high-level delegations. On this occasion, the Turkmen delegation was led by the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan and National Leader of the Turkmen people, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
His participation in the Kazan Forum consistently attracts heightened attention, owing both to his personal stature and long-standing reputation as an experienced, wise and far sighted statesman, and to the innovative initiatives the National Leader brings forward for consideration by a broad and influential audience. As forum participants often acknowledged in informal discussions, they invariably expect—and receive from Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov—not only engaging and relevant, but also highly practical and realistic ideas.
And this time too, those expectations were fully borne out. For his keynote address, the head of the Turkmen delegation chose a highly symbolic platform —the Kazan Forum, which brings together the Islamic world.
This choice is both logical and consistent. In recent years—particularly against the backdrop of erosion of moral standards in global politics, decline of trust and weakening culture of respectful dialogue – Turkmenistan has been steadily and purposefully advancing a humanitarian and humanistic agenda in the international arena. Despite growing alienation and escalating conflict potential, this agenda is regarded as one of the few unifying factors capable of bringing countries and peoples together on constructive and positive foundations. It also contributes to softening – or, if one may put it this way, to humanizing interstate relations, restoring a sense of meaning to them and reminding the international community that culture, as a shared heritage of humanity, can and should serve as a bridge to mutual understanding and cooperation.
Given the enduring moral imperatives and values that the Islamic cultural space preserves and actively cultivates, it is objectively well positioned to play a meaningful role in this process. In this context, the concept of “Dialogue through Culture,” put forward several years ago by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, acquires particular significance and renewed relevance. Today, it is not only increasingly demanded but also expected to serve a practical and effective function.
Addressing the participants of the forum, the National Leader emphasized that Turkmenistan’s neutral status serves as a key foundation for the implementation of a coherent and long-term humanitarian strategy. It also enables the consistent expansion of international cooperation in this area and the establishment of a solid political and legal framework for the country’s active engagement in the global humanitarian sphere.
In this context, particular attention was paid to education. For Turkmenistan, it represents not only a consistent priority of state policy, but also an important factor in fostering closer ties and mutual understanding with other countries. As Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized in his address, under current conditions—marked by the accelerated transformation of the global educational landscape and the widespread adoption of technological innovations and standards in this field, there is a growing need to preserve cultural diversity based on national identity, historical heritage and traditional values, as well as to create opportunities for each country and people to contribute their unique perspectives to the development of global cultural and civilizational processes, enriching and complementing them. Against this background, the role of international organizations acquires particular significance, especially their capacity as a unifying force in consolidating the efforts of states in the humanitarian sphere.
As illustrative examples of Turkmenistan’s successful integration into the global cultural space, the National Leader referred to a number of landmark facts and achievements reflecting the country’s unique historical and cultural heritage, which the Turkmen people have preserved and conveyed in its original authenticity – heritage that is rightfully recognized worldwide. It is therefore appropriate to highlight some of these examples.
To date, more than 1,500 historical and cultural monuments have been identified and registered across the territory of Turkmenistan, reflecting the rich civilizational heritage of the Turkmen people.
A significant milestone was the inclusion of the historical monuments of Ancient Merv in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999, recognized as an outstanding monument of the world civilization and one of the most important cultural and trading centers of the Great Silk Road. In subsequent years, international recognition was also accorded to Kunya-Urgench and the Parthian fortresses of Nisa, which represent sites of exceptional historical, archaeological and cultural value.
Particular attention in the country is devoted to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. To date, ten elements of intangible cultural heritage nominated by Turkmenistan have been inscribed on the relevant international Representative Lists.
Turkmenistan’s participation in the cultural dialogue among Turkic states, as well as efforts to preserve the historical heritage of fraternal peoples is an important component of international humanitarian cooperation. The designation of the city of Mary in 2015, and of the city of Anau in 2024, as Cultural Capitals of the Turkic World serves as a compelling example of Turkmenistan’s contribution to these processes.
These facts also serve as compelling evidence of the effectiveness of Turkmenistan’s cooperation with UNESCO, reflecting a shared understanding of the value and significance of their joint efforts.
As noted above, a central and substantive element of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s participation in the Kazan Forum was the set of initiatives he introduced. There are three in total, each significant in its own way, as they outline key strategic directions for cultural cooperation within the Islamic world – open to all interested stakeholders – and align with contemporary trends in technological development and progress. In introducing these initiatives, the National Leader of the Turkmen people expressed his confidence that they “will, in our view, be capable of providing constructive impetus and guidance for further joint efforts.” Here is how Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presented these initiatives.
1. Historical Heritage. Turkmenistan offers to initiate the development of a long-term ISESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) strategy for the preservation and enrichment of the cultural and historical heritage of Islamic countries. We consider it important to place emphasis not only on research and scholarly study, but also on the active promotion of Islamic cultural heritage through the creation of literary and journalistic works, cinematographic productions, virtual museums, galleries, and other widely accessible online platforms.
2. Education and Enlightenment. We propose the launch of a large-scale programme entitled “Islamic Poetic Dialogue: Wisdom and Connection of Generations.” The objective of this initiative is to ensure broad, systematic access for audiences in our countries and worldwide to the finest works of Islamic poetic and philosophical heritage – from antiquity to the present day. A defining feature of Islamic philosophical thought is its lyrical and poetic expression. In this regard, as an initial step, we propose considering the creation of a “World Anthology of Islamic Poetry”, bringing together the works by outstanding poets, thinkers and philosophers from the Muslim world, as well as authors who identify with Islam and its cultural and intellectual tradition.
3. Turkmenistan puts forward an initiative to develop “smart city diplomacy” within the Islamic world. We proceed from the premise that in a number of our countries, including Turkmenistan, the development of smart cities is actively advancing as a key direction of state policy. Today, the concept of a “smart city” represents a synthesis of intelligence, creativity, architecture, culture, science, technology, aesthetics and social knowledge – core elements that underpin cooperation within ISESCO. In this regard, we consider it relevant, within the framework of this organization, to promote through “smart city diplomacy” the establishment of partnership and professional mechanisms for the exchange of experience, knowledge, best practices and plans among Islamic countries in this promising area of development.
It is evident that the initiatives put forward did not emerge spontaneously; rather, they are the result of a thorough and forward looking analysis of the evolving global order and the place and role of the Islamic world in it.
In line with the established practice, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov used the visit to maximize bilateral meetings and contacts. During his stay in Kazan, the National Leader held a telephone conversation with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, during which both sides reaffirmed their enduring commitment to relations of good neighborliness, friendship, cooperation and strategic partnership between the two countries.
The National Leader also met with Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Political Affairs under the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
A considerable portion of time was devoted to meetings with representatives of the Republic of Tatarstan, including the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation, Rustam Minnikhanov. In addition to the talks, they jointly visited the Kazan Hippodrome, where horse races featuring Turkmen riders took place.
It remains to be noted that Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s visit to Kazan was marked by a high level of hospitality, warmth and sincerity on the part of the people of Tatarstan. This is a telling indicator of the distinctive nature of Turkmenistan’s economic and humanitarian ties with the fraternal people and all residents of this prosperous and dynamically developing region of the Russian Federation.