Today there is no more urgent task for the international community then the task of maintaining and establishing peace on our planet Earth, practical and active peacemaking. As you know, our country, Russia, and now the Russian Federation, has always been known by its deep and meaningful spiritual peace initiatives.
In my opinion one of the most important principles of peacemaking is the principle of interdependence and interaction of different cultures and traditions, and the principle of universal human values. This is especially true today — we can witness it by the example of the events that are taking place in European countries, and are associated with increased migration flows and the complexity of the cultural adaptation of the non-indigenous population. This is why the historical experience of the multinational Russian civilization, which for many centuries of its existence has learned to reconcile national and confessional interests for solving the common social and spiritual problems, appears now as a very salutary example.
At the Federation Council, which is the Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament, I represent the Republic of Ingushetia. The Ingush people are one of Russia's small nationalities, but we are proud of our contribution to the prosperity of our common homeland. The oldest Christian church of the Russian Federation is located on the territory of Ingushetia, and this illustrates the principle of interdependence and interaction of different cultures and traditions. Moreover, Ingushetia, being a region with historically strong traditions of Islam, also gives us the example of a tribal democracy, and in my opinion, a deeper acquaintance with this unique centuries-old experience of my people could be very productive for the European colleagues — religious scholars, theologians, historians, whose area of responsibility surmises helping politicians, including parliamentarians through initiating and supporting a meaningful inter-religious dialogue based on understanding of the universal human values.
I would like to offer my apologies to the organizers of the conference for my not being able to personally take part in the deliberations of the reports. However, I am ready to be one of the initiators of a peacemaking action. I invite parliamentarians, religious scholars, sociologists, historians to the Republic of Ingushetia. By studying the historical experience of my people they could see and understand how harmoniously the traditional Islam is developing in Russia, and considering this example would develop new ideas and new peacemaking initiatives in the form of a systemic dialogue between religious traditions on the basis of accepting the universal human values. I am wishing you good luck in a common effort to promote peace in the world.
Ahmet Palankoev
Member of the RF Federation Council