Minnullina on KazanForum: “Not everyone can gather so many countries in the current international situation”

Kazan lacks simultaneous interpreters to properly host KazanForum 2026

— Today, we see the global turbulence happening (in the world — editor's note), how economic chains and logistics chains are changing. Therefore, the influence and development of relations with Islamic states are currently of strategic importance for Russia in this regard, — stated Alexander Stuglev, Chairman of the Board and Director of the Roscongress Foundation.

These words were spoken by the head of the organization ahead of the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum 2026," which will take place from May 12 to 17 in Kazan. According to Taliya Minnullina, head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency and a member of the federal organizing committee, 93 countries and 61 Russian regions have confirmed participation.

Among the international participants, the largest delegations are expected from Afghanistan, Senegal, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, and Pakistan. The Karachay-Cherkess and Kabardino-Balkarian Republics, as well as the Kirov, Volgograd, and Astrakhan regions, plan to actively participate in the forum. Organizers note that the final geography of participants is not yet finalized.

Given the great attention to the upcoming event, questions naturally arise about how ready Kazan is to host the large number of guests eager to come here during the forum days.

The main difficulty for the infrastructure, specifically for the service sector, lies in the simultaneous arrival of a large number of participants, each arriving not alone but with assistants and accompanying persons. This creates a significant burden on the entire city infrastructure, including businesses. The situation is complicated by the high requirements of participants regarding accommodation conditions.

— Generally speaking about the hotel room inventory, on one hand, it is sufficient, but on the other hand, everyone wants to stay in one hotel with a view of the Kremlin. The dissatisfaction mainly stems from a shortage of specific rooms with certain characteristics, but Kazan, in particular, and any other regional hotels — both in St. Petersburg and Vladivostok — strive to maximally satisfy the needs of participants, — stated Stuglev.

Another non-obvious test for the city and organizers when working with a huge number of country representatives is the need for simultaneous interpretation. According to organizing committee head Taliya Minnullina, Kazan still lacks highly qualified simultaneous interpreters, and specialists from across the country and even abroad have to be brought in to ensure high-quality simultaneous interpretation.

Furthermore, the difficulty lies in the fact that the international platform often requires translation not only from Russian to English and vice versa but also into other languages, including Arabic, French, and Turkish.

— Simultaneous interpretation is a very complex process because a person must listen and convey the thought simultaneously. And convey it competently and correctly, because if the interpreter conveys the thought incorrectly, it could lead (to — editor's note) even an international scandal. <...> There is currently a shortage of professional simultaneous interpreters in Kazan, — stated Minnullina.

For the first time: a congress of national banks and African surge

Speaking about the forum's innovations, the head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency noted: “Every year, our forum develops; we are developing the projects we already have, but there are also new events we are holding this year.”

One of the main novelties of the forum will be the first-ever international exhibition of ready-made investment and infrastructure projects. According to the head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, Russia and CIS countries will participate. To date, 200 projects starting from 1 billion rubles, collected from across the country, including Tatarstan, have been selected for participation.

— These are specifically formulated proposals, because if our business is not ready for negotiations and just goes to meet people at the forum, the result leaves much to be desired. But if we have concrete, packaged proposals, translated into foreign languages, that we can offer to our colleagues, then the quality of the event is completely different, — stated Minnullina.

Another important foreign policy feature of the current forum will be the holding of high-level intercountry sessions. The program includes meetings of intergovernmental commissions between Russia and countries such as Indonesia, Nigeria, and Malaysia. Meetings of commission co-chairs with representatives of Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Palestine are also planned, as well as a meeting of the Malaysian working group on tourism. A working group with Turkey in the transport sector is currently at the confirmation stage.

Khalimat Budunova, Deputy Head of the Department for Bilateral Cooperation Development at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, added that as part of the working group, tour operators from Malaysia will come for a familiarization visit, visiting Tatarstan, as well as Moscow and Mari El.

Notably, interest in the forum from African countries has surged this year. In 2026, bilateral conferences between Russia and countries such as Sierra Leone and Ghana will be held for the first time.

— There has never been such a surge of interest from African countries as this year. Moreover, at the suggestion of our colleagues — embassies of African states and business associations — roundtables with African countries have been initiated, so we see that this direction will be well represented, — stated the head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency.

In addition to business cooperation, the forum also opens new economic horizons. For example, the Russian Investment and Economic Forum will “move” from Moscow to Kazan, and the theme of the event in 2026 will be “Partner Financing: Industry Management and Development.” For the first time, a congress of national banks of Islamic countries, initiated by the Central Bank of Russia, will be held within KazanForum 2026. “We are currently finalizing this session, and I think it is very important for us that regulators also build partnerships with each other," concluded Taliya Minnullina.

It is known that 143 sessions across 20 different directions are planned within the forum. The business part will last three days and will take place at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center.

Organizers plan to offset inconveniences for citizens with cultural and sports programs

According to the organizers and the program, “Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum 2026” is not only about business and economic relations. This is especially relevant given that Kazan has been named the cultural capital of the Islamic world for the current year, a status that needs to be confirmed.

Minnullina called the congress of culture ministers of OIC countries, which will be attended by heads of departments from over 20 countries, a key cultural event. This event will be held within the forum for the second time, under the leadership of the country's Ministry of Culture. The program includes, for example, guest performances by the Mariinsky Theater for city visitors.

The festival of decent fashion will be a traditional event on the cultural agenda, aimed at demonstrating the export potential of the Russian light industry. In addition to Russian representatives, designers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Morocco, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan are expected in 2026.

— For the first time this year, we will hold horse races and a jockey championship. As you know, horse racing is very popular in Islamic countries, especially in certain states, — said Taliya Minnullina, presenting the cultural and sports program.

Currently, athletes from Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, and Brazil are expected to participate in the races and jockey championship, with nine prizes to be awarded among different horse breeds. According to the organizers, this will be a grand celebration for both forum guests and local residents: admission to the open grandstand will be free.

It is precisely these cultural events that are intended to smooth over the inconveniences for Kazan residents during the days of the international forum when the city hosts delegations from so many countries.

— Traditionally, an exhibition, cultural, and sports and entertainment program will be presented — this is a large block aimed at citizens, both city guests and residents of Kazan. The entire program is very rich and interesting, and this is confirmed annually by feedback from Kazan residents. Undoubtedly, they experience certain inconveniences due to the logistics of participants, but in return, they essentially get a big city celebration, — stated Alexander Stuglev, Chairman of the Board and Director of the Roscongress Foundation.