MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a welcome message to the attendees of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group meeting, according to a telegram published on the Kremlin website on Wednesday.

"Russia places great significance on the development of friendly relations with Muslim countries, both bilaterally and as part of a dialogue with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,’’ Putin said in the telegram. ‘’It’s important that we have very close positions on many timely issues of the regional and global agenda."

"Together, we support building a fair democratic world order, which is based on the rule of law and peaceful co-existence of states and is free of the dictate of force and any forms of discrimination," he went on to say.

The meeting’s schedule includes a discussion of cooperation in settling regional conflicts and crises and fighting international terrorism and extremism, Putin said. Other topics will include joint efforts in trade, economic, scientific, research, humanitarian and other areas, he said.

Putin said that he hoped that the meeting would be constructive and fruitful and would serve to strengthen mutual understanding and trust among the peoples of the countries. He thanked King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia for his personal attention to the organization of the meeting.

The Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group was created in 2006 after Russia joined the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as an observer. The group’s meeting is taking place in Saudi Arabia.