The implementation of the state national policy in RT was discussed in Kazan

(KZN.RU, December 5). The joint meeting of the Council under the President of Tatarstan on interethnic and interfaith relations, the Antiterrorist Commission of the RT and the Council of the RT municipalities held in the Executive House of the Kazan Kremlin. Ildar Khalikov, the Prime Minister of Tatarstan, Farid Mukhametshin, the chairman of the Tatarstan State Council, Mintimer Shaimiev, the State Counsellor of the Tatarstan, Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, and others participated in the meeting under the leadership of Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of Tatarstan.

The implementation of the state national policy in RT at the municipal level was the main topic of the meeting.

According to R. Minnikhanov, national diversity is becoming commonplace not only in big cities but also in many municipalities. “These changes require careful attention to the issues of ethno-cultural development, intercultural communication”, said the President of Tatarstan. "During the period from 2011 to 2015, the number of persons, assigned to the migration registration at the place of stay, increased in Tatarstan more than 1.7 times. Socio-cultural adaptation of immigrants acquires particular relevance in this regard. Risks of ethnic conflict and the formation of closed enclaves increase. Dangerous influx of people with involvement in the promotion of nationalist ideology, the ideas of radical Islam, as well as consisting of extremist religious groups are high”.

R. Minnikhanov said that the situation is calm in the country, but it is maintained by daily work, we cannot relax and reduce alertness. At the same time, under the domination of mass culture, the problem of the loss of ethnic identity arises, said the President. Folk arts and crafts, traditional forms of peoples' way of life, locally residing in the country, are subject to these risks.

Three state programs and six sub-programs in the field of implementation of the state national policy are working today in Tatarstan, reminded the President. In addition, the monitoring system is established, locally responsible are determined, municipal anti-terrorist commissions are playing an important role.

Vasil’ Shaykhraziev, the deputy Prime Minister of the RT, delivered a keynote presentation on the state national policy implementation in the RT at the municipal level. He reminded that in accordance with the law, the municipality is one of the centers of responsibility in this area. However, he stated that the ethnic structure of the population of municipal formations of the republic varies considerably in recent years. Migration processes have a significant impact. Thus, 181,650 foreign citizens put on the migratory account for the current period of 2016, which is 8.5% more than the same period of 2015.

V. Shaykhraziev also said that if in 2011 the number of citizens, set out in the migration registration at the place of stay, was about 134 thousand people, whereas in 2015 this number was 225 thousand. The largest number of foreign nationals is living in the cities of Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Zelenodolsky, Almetyevsky, Nizhnekamsky, Leninogorsky and other regions.

The deputy Prime Minister of the RT pointed out that the municipal programs, contributing to the development of multinational culture, preservation of interethnic and interreligious harmony, are adopted and implemented in the regions. Most of them will be completed this year, and it is necessary to do the work on their prolongation until 2020. “We also praise the work of House of Peoples' Friendship, national and cultural centers, which are now working actively with the public, the question of ethno-cultural development”, said the President of Tatarstan.

“We see that there is a strong interest in the country, I am also reported about how many people come to us, but at the same time how many people we have to expel from the region because of their biographies being ambiguous. Here we encounter an alien ideology and difficult situations”, said President of the RT and reminded that it is need to pay attention to the Internet, where supporters of radical views communicate with young people. “If we do not work with young people, it means they will get a distortion of the virtual space, which can lead to serious consequences”, said R. Minnikhanov.

The President drew attention to the fact that the systems GLONASS-112 and the “People's control” are operating in the country: posts on the topics of conflicts on ethnic or religious grounds are accepted for two years. According to R. Minnikhanov, the municipalities have to make extensive use of these systems, to respond to the received message.

“We understand that the main role in the prevention work is given to local authorities”, said R. Minnikhanov. “There is need of specific work in the cities and in the regions, and it is important to harness the power of TSGs - territorial self-government. We have their support, and it would be right to engage them in this work. We also understand that we must create conditions for ethnic and cultural development of the peoples living in the republic”, the press-service of the President of the RT quoted the words of R. Minnikhanov.