Hawzah News Agency (Kazan, Tatarstan) - Hujjat al-Islam Mohammad Ali Movahedi, Director of Astan Quds Razavi’s Center for International Affairs said in an interview with Astan News “Tatarstan was the entry point of Islam into Russia and today it is known as the cultural and religious center of Muslims of the Russian Federation and has a very influential and profound role in the religious and cultural structure of other Russian autonomous republics, in a way that religious sciences center of the Russian Federation is the autonomous Republic of Tatarstan and the city of Kazan and Bolgar.”
He added that the Islamic Academy of Bolgar in Tatarstan is defined as the centerpiece of the policy and standardization of Islamic and religious sciences in Tatarstan and all religious centers in the promotion of the religious sciences of the Russian Federation are exemplified by this academy, which represents the crucial cultural and religious position of this republic. 
“The expansion of the link between the important religious and cultural centers of the Islamic Republic of Iran with this cultural and religious peak of the Russian Federation can prevent the growth of religious extremism and guarantee the security of the region, and therefore, this trip for both sides of Iran and Russia is very important” Director of the International Center of Astan Quds Razavi said.
Referring to last year's trip of Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of Tatarstan, to the holy city of Mashhad and his meeting with Hujjat al-Islam wa al-Muslimin Raeisi he stated, “During the meeting, Tatarstan's President, after getting familiar with the various capacities of Astan Quds Razavi was keen and interested in expanding scientific, cultural and economic ties, and in this regard, he invited the Grand Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi officially a few months ago to his country.”
“We can have cooperation in the three scientific, cultural and economic sectors with the Republic of Tatarstan and we hope that through the foreseen measures, we will witness very valuable developments and practical actions in these areas” Hujjat al-Islam Movahedi expressed, pointing to the Astan Quds Razavi’s document of future perspective.

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