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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: This morning I already sent a message of greeting to all Muslims in Russia on Eid al-Fitr, which crowns the holy month of Ramadan.

Here at this meeting with you I would like to once again wish all Muslims in Russia, who are an inseparable part of our big multi-ethnic country, happiness, prosperity and success.

I know that you recently met with the heads of the Presidential Executive Office to discuss some matters regarding the organization of spiritual life, administrative matters, so to speak.

Grand Mufti of Russia Rawil Gaynutdin: First of all, Mr President, on behalf of the multi-million strong Muslim Ummah of the Russian Federation I would like to thank you for your attention and your greetings to Muslims on one of Islam’s main holidays – the Eid festival of the breaking of the fast.

I had the honour today to read out your message on the air and to make it heard to all Muslims, not only in Russia, but via satellite it was also broadcast to the CIS states, where people follow our holiday broadcast from the Moscow Cathedral Mosque, which we built thanks to the blessing, the political will of our President, the one you and I opened.

Yes, I had a meeting with the Head of the Presidential Executive Office. We discussed very important matters, including Islamic education, which is a priority issue for us today.

Since the late 80s of the last century, we have been gradually working on this issue, but it was only in the early 2000s that we managed to make some headway.

I would like to single out your contribution, your understanding and your support in creating a system of Islamic education in Russia.

We now have several Islamic institutions of higher learning that have received state accreditation; we can award diplomas. Our educational establishments are all operating, they all have licenses. We have now created a multi-stage system of Islamic education.

Thanks to your support, we have opened the Bulgarian Islamic Academy in the Republic of Tatarstan, we are its founders. We are also the founders of the Russian Islamic Institute in Kazan. Clearly, the leading institution of Islamic education is, in my view, the Moscow Islamic Institute.

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