15th International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024”

From May 15 to 17, 2024, a delegation from the Government of Moscow participated in the anniversary 15th International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024” held in Kazan. The key theme of this year’s forum was “Trust and Cooperation,” focusing on strengthening trade, economic, scientific, technological, social and cultural ties between Russia and member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The event brought together representatives from over 80 countries, including 40 OIC member states, as well as 83 regions of Russia.

On May 15, as part of the forum, the delegation of the Government of Moscow attended the grand opening of Russia’s largest international exhibition of investment and infrastructure projects, “Russia Halal Expo.” Among the participants were Alexey Pesoshin, Prime Minister of Tatarstan; Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation; Abdulhadi Ibrahim Al-Hwaij, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Libya; Abdulla Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Economy; and Ashraf Al Tanbouli, Director General of the Islamic Chamber for Halal Services.

The delegation then toured the forum’s key exhibitions, visiting stands representing the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Türkiye, and other countries and regions that maintain productive cooperation with Moscow in socio-cultural, economic and scientific-technological spheres.

The Moscow exhibition opened on May 15 in Pavilion A3, organized by the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow. The stand’s design concept was based on open space principles incorporating stylized elements of “natural urbanism,” including features inspired by iconic landmarks such as Zaryadye Park.

Through multimedia technologies, the Moscow exhibition effectively showcased the capital’s economic potential to partners from the Islamic world, presenting projects and programs in urban infrastructure development, innovation and technology, urban environment improvement, quality of life enhancement, and preservation of historical architecture and identity.

The stand featured materials from various Moscow government bodies including the Urban Planning Policy and Construction Complex, the Department of Economic Policy and Development, the Moscow Analytical Center, the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development, the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Department of Culture, the A.V. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture, the Moscow Main Archive Directorate, and Zaryadye Park.

The demonstration zone dedicated to the Greater Ring Road (BKL) featured an interactive metro map accompanied by a slideshow of construction progress and completed stations, prepared by the partner company Mosinzheproekt JSC. The Moscow Gastronomic Café introduced visitors to the capital’s unique culinary innovations and coffee traditions, with participation from United Confectioners LLC. An interactive photo zone offering immersive experiences of Moscow’s iconic landmarks attracted particular attention from forum participants.

On May 15, the Moscow stand hosted an international video conference between Russian and Indonesian business circles, supported by the Department for External Economic and International Relations and the Russian Trade Mission in Indonesia. The event aimed to foster collaboration between the two business communities. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Evgeny B. Dridze, Deputy Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow; Alexander A. Masaltsev, Russian Trade Representative in Indonesia; and Didit Ratam, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Russian Committee.

Russian speakers included Nikolai Morgunov from the V.P. Ivannikov Institute of System Programming, Pavel Sharavsky from VisionLabs, and Konstantin Volkov from Mosinzheproekt JSC. Indonesian participants included Devi Erna Rahmawati of Revealium Group, Hijas Mustafa of Hiraka Group, and Ozi Hanseri of Audie. Participants expressed gratitude for the productive session and reaffirmed their commitment to developing Russian-Indonesian business ties.

On May 16, the Moscow stand continued its program, hosting regional and international delegations with presentations on Moscow’s economic and urban development potential. The exhibition was visited by Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of Tatarstan; Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia; and Andrey Kobyakov, Advisor to the Russian President.

In collaboration with the A.V. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture, the stand displayed digital copies of 11 engravings by the renowned architect dedicated to Kazan Railway Station, symbolizing connections between European and Eastern cultures. The Moscow Department of Culture presented daily screenings about the Moscow Film Cluster, while the Department of Cultural Heritage offered virtual tours of Moscow landmarks including “Roofs of Moscow” and “Hotel National,” along with digital exhibits of historical documents.

The delegation also visited the real estate and infrastructure projects exhibition and the Kazan Halal Market. On the final day, May 17, Anna N. Chunina of the Moscow Innovation Agency spoke at a session on technology transfer trends, discussing international cooperation in innovation and technology applications.

The participation of the Government of Moscow with its own exhibition at KazanForum 2024 successfully promoted the capital’s infrastructure, urban development and innovation projects internationally, with foreign participants noting the significance of Moscow’s initiatives.