Today at the residence of the Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin met with a delegation from France, in addition to the planned questions about the position of Islam in our two countries, relations with public authorities and dialogue of confessions and nations, the questions regarding the situation in the Middle East overall and especially in Syria was raised.

French Ambassador-at-large, the French Foreign Ministry Adviser on Religious Affairs, Mr. Roland Dyubertran expressed full understanding of the position voiced by the spiritual leader of Muslims of Russia that today "it is important to avoid any external interference, especially the military, to the issues of sovereign Syria."

Mufti talked about last week meeting with a presidential candidate Vladimir Putin who met with religious leaders of Russia, where Ravil Khazrat said that "Russia's Muslims support the actions of the country's leadership to resolve the situation in Syria"

"Now we see that the people who went through the destructive revolutions of "Arab spring" had not got not only independence, but also involved in the chain of bloodshed. We see the suffering in Libya, suffering peoples of Afghanistan, Iraq, and what is being done in Syria - requires the attention of world public opinion and, thus, mandatory compliance with constitutional and sovereign rights of the people to decide all domestic matters, "- Ravil Gaynutdin said during today's meeting with the French delegation.

 On behalf of the Muslims of Russia Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council expressed his solidarity with the Russian leadership's position on the stabilization and settlement of the situation in Syria, and reiterated his support for the policy, which the President and the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation are pursuing.