A delegation of the Federation Council attended an international conference for countries to share their experience of organising the hajj.
A delegation of the Federation Council led by First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, and Plenipotentiary for Hajj Affairs with the Governmental Commission on Religious Organisations Iliyas Umakhanov attended an international conference, which gave various countries the opportunity to share their experience of organising the hajj. The conference took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Other members of the delegation included Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy Belan Khamchiev, member of the Federation Council Committee on Defence and Security Krym Kazanokov and head of the Russian Hajj Mission Khizbula Asuyev.
The participants in the conference, which featured an ambitious exhibition, included officials representing public authorities and financial institutions, and executives from major international and regional companies for pilgrim relations from over 80 counties.
On the sidelines of the conference, a meeting was held with Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tawfiq Al-Rabiah. The talks focused on the efforts to organise the pilgrimage of Russian Muslims to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia as part of the greater and the lesser hajj. “We touched on the issues of organising air flights, transport and medical services, and lodging for pilgrims,” Iliyas Umakhanov said. “The parties expressed an interest in promoting diversified bilateral cooperation.”
At the end of the meeting an agreement was signed, which specifies the terms under which Russian pilgrims can make the hajj in 2024. The Saudi minister also reiterated his intention to make his first visit to Russia this year.
In addition, the visit included a meeting with Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha. The officials discussed what could be done to promote cooperation between Russia and Muslim countries. Hissein Brahim Taha reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to actively work with the Russian Federation and said that OIC member countries were ready to take part in international forums held by Russia, including the Russia-Africa Summit, the Russia – Islamic World KazanForum, an international economic forum, and the Eurasian Women’s Forum.