Mintimer Shaimiev gave interview to Swiss radio and TV company

On July 8, Tatarstan State Advisor Mintimer Shaimiev gave an interview to the Swiss National Public Radio and TV.

According to the company’s correspondent in Moscow Peter Giesling, the purpose of the visit to Kazan is to make a 30-minute radio report about the peaceful co-existence of the Christian and Muslim cultures in Tatarstan. The Republic is an interesting and important example for Switzerland, where the two cultures are poorly integrated and biased against each other. The subject of tolerance is highly relevant for Switzerland, in view of the recent referendum on banning the construction of minarets.

Mintimer Shaimiev answered questions about the basis of Muslims and Christians’ peaceful co-existence and the difficulties the first Tatar President had to face in the 90s, about the importance of economic well-being in the Republic for the development of tolerance on interethnic and interreligious levels. Answering what his personal recommendation to Switzerland concerning intolerance would be, Mintimer Shaimiev said Switzerland had rather little experience in the Muslim and Christian cultures co-existence and that it took time and positive attitude to foster tolerance in a multi-faith society.