New Delhi, May 28 -- Russian Federation's prosperous Muslim majority Republic of Tatarstan - rich in oil with advanced industry - has become Moscow's pivot to the Islamic world as Western Europe through its sanctions has cordoned it off in the West, while West Asia is undergoing a realignment of forces following the Israeli-US attack on Iran. Amid this geopolitical storm nations are looking for safe harbour. Russia seems to be successfully capitalising on the fears of the Islamic world which was predominantly oriented towards the West during the Cold War.

On May 12-17, 2006 more than 250 delegates representing Islamic nations from North African Egypt and Algeria to Indonesia and Brunei in South-East Asia assembled for the 17th KazanForum...