Welcome speech by President of Republic Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev to participants of the international conference "Great Volga way", August, 6, 2001.

Dear participants of the conference!

Dear visitors!

Opening the conference "Great Volga way" let me wish you successes in rather noble business of studying the role of peoples of the Volga basin in formation of cultures and the states of the East Europe. I am convinced: your researches will help to understand not only a history of this question, but also prospect of Volga Region in development of economy and culture of Russia.

It is pleasant for me to note a high level of conference participants and depth of the faced problems. Special honor for us is participation in this forum of the personal Representative of the UN Secretary -General for the UN year of dialogue among civilizations mister Gianndomenico Picco.

At all times along the big rivers the great states were formed, there was an intensive exchange of the goods, ideas, cultural values along the rivers. For Tatarstan, as well as for all Russia, the Volga and the Kama have an exclusive value. Since IX century the Volga becomes the major trading artery which has connected Scandinavia, Northern and the East Europe with Persia. This trading way has received the name "Great Volga way" . It was also named the way "from the Varangians to Persia". It has connected the north of Europe with the East. On banks of Volga the Bulgar state, Russian princedoms, Golden Horde, Kazan and Astrakhan khanates, the European part of Russia were formed.

The Volga today also keeps the value as the major transport artery. Major economic centres of Russia have settled down on its banks. It is no exaggeration to say, that the territory of the Volga pool plays a role of economic, cultural and political ridge of the Russian Federation.

Creation under aegis of the United Nations of the international transport corridor "North -South", undoubtedly, promotes development of Russain economy but it also serves transnational interests. Simultaneously it was necessary to use "the Great Volga way" for stimulation of a home market and inter-regional cooperation. As experience of many countries shows, Russia will not survive as advanced power having a developed national - technical potential if the basic emphasis is made on sale of raw material. Economic strategy of the Russian Federation should be focused on production of competitive high technology products, and preservation of foreign sales markets, first of all, in Asia. From this view point it is difficult to overestimate a role of transport corridor on the Volga.

Republic Tatarstan enjoys rather favorable geographical position which determines its economic opportunities. All types of transport - air corridors, strategic rail and highways, Volga and Kama waterways, and both in direction to the West - East, and from the North to the South converge in Kazan . Besides, Tatarstan is capable to produce many types of transport - water, air, automobile and create info systems for servicing transport. Tatarstan might bring in a significant contribution to development of Volga pool economy .

This year is significant that it was declared by the United Nations as Year of dialogue among civilizations - dialogue between those who perceive the diversity as threat, and those who perceive it as a step on the way to the best life and progress.

Our republic is on a joint of Islamic and Christian religions, Slavic and Turkic cultures. Islam was accepted as the state religion in 922 year on the banks of Volga, and our territory became the most northern point of spreading Muslim culture in the world.

In XIX and at the beginning of XX centuries due to reformatory ideas of the Tatar theologians a new trend of public idea - djadjism has appeared, having become a tolerant form of Islam. Today, when in the world Islam has developed to some extent a negative image, it would be rather useful to displace accents on that what unites religions, instead of that what creates barriers between them. Experience of Tatarstan where the balance of cultures and faiths is observed, might become an original model of dialogue between cultures and promote formation of new image of Islam as religion of peace, modern, tolerant, capable to react to calls of time.

The theme of "Great Volga way" is comprehensive and I hope that your conference will bring in the worthy contribution to its further research.

I wish you all successes on this historical way.