Vice-President of the International Women’s Union Rima Safiullova and Advisor to the National Council of the World Congress of Tatars Zilya Valieva at the V Eurasian Forum in Bangkok: Live Dialogue and Experience Exchange
On April 7–8, the capital of Thailand hosted the V Eurasian Forum of Russian Compatriots (Eurasian Meeting of Russian Compatriot Women “Women’s Faces of Russian Identity”) under the auspices of the Government Commission on Compatriots Abroad (GCCA). The event brought together representatives of Russian-speaking communities from about 50 countries, becoming an important platform for dialogue, experience exchange, and strengthening ties with the historical homeland.
The forum was attended by Rima Gumerovna Safiullova — Vice-President of the International Women’s Union, Head of LLC “Agrofirma Kolos” and KFH “R.G. Safiullova”, Head of the local branch of the World Congress of Tatars in the Tetyushsky District — as part of a delegation from the Republic of Tatarstan led by Zilya Rakhimyanovna Valieva, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Council of the World Congress of Tatars, Head of the Regional Public Organization “Tatarstan Khatyn-Kyzary” (Women of Tatarstan).
The forum was attended and addressed by deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, senators of the Federation Council, representatives of the Russian Embassy in Thailand, and the Ambassador of Thailand to Russia. A welcoming address to the delegates was delivered by Evgeny Tomikhin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Thailand.
“We are proud that over the past several years, Bangkok has become a venue for major international forums uniting Russian compatriots,” the ambassador said. “We live in a period of global transformation. And it is very important that, despite all these difficulties, our compatriots are consolidating, not losing touch with their homeland, actively communicating with each other, and doing important work on the patriotic education of youth.”
Evgeny Tomikhin also read out an address by the head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Evgeny Primakov, who emphasized that the meeting is taking place during the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. “National identity does not live in documents and archives, but in people — in their choice to speak their native language, to remember and pass on the cultural code. And the first acquaintance with it almost always happens through women in the family, where a sense of belonging to the historical homeland is formed. This is especially important for those who are outside its borders,” he noted.
Zilya Rakhimyanovna Valieva spoke at the forum as an official speaker. In her report, she noted that 2026, proclaimed by the President of Russia as the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, opens new opportunities for consolidating compatriots abroad. She spoke about the systematic work of the World Congress of Tatars to support Tatar communities in different countries, about international projects, including interaction within the framework of the Islamic Summit, aimed at preserving the native language, culture and traditions, and also emphasized the active work of the Rais of Tatarstan to strengthen ties with compatriots abroad. Special attention was paid to the role of women of Tatarstan in the development of public diplomacy. Her speech aroused lively interest among the participants and received high praise.
Participation of Rima Safiullova: Live Communication and Experience Exchange
The presence of Rima Gumerovna at the forum was very significant. During informal communication, work in sections and round tables, she actively shared her many years of experience in agribusiness, social work and charity with compatriots from different countries.
As Vice-President of the International Women’s Union, Rima Gumerovna paid special attention to the role of women’s public organizations in consolidating compatriot women abroad. During live communication, she shared her experience in implementing projects aimed at preserving native language, traditions and cultural identity in a multinational environment. The participants of the forum discussed with interest the issues of raising children in the spirit of traditional values while living outside Russia, as well as opportunities for joint women’s initiatives in education, culture and social support for families.
“In an informal atmosphere, we were able to discuss what really concerns our compatriot women: how to preserve our native language, how to introduce children to the culture of our ancestors, how to build a dialogue with local authorities. Such an exchange of experience is priceless,” Rima Safiullova emphasized following the forum.
The key topics of the V Eurasian Meeting were the preservation of historical memory, countering the falsification of history, promoting the Russian language and the cultures of the peoples of Russia abroad, and supporting compatriot women in the face of global challenges. The delegates also discussed interaction with Rossotrudnichestvo and opportunities for educational and cultural projects. On the sidelines of the forum, a photo exhibition “Peoples of Russia” of the Russian Geographical Society was organized, showcasing the culture, traditions and way of life of the peoples of Russia.
Background: Participation of Rima Safiullova in the IV Eurasian Meeting in Doha (2025)
For Rima Gumerovna, this is not her first experience participating in events of this level. In April 2025, as part of the delegation of theInternational Women’s Union together with the President of the Union Alfiya Amirova, she took part in the IV Eurasian Meeting of Russian Compatriot Women in Doha (Qatar). At that time, Alfiya Amirova spoke as a speaker, and Rima Safiullova was recognized for her active social work.
Tatarstan’s representation at such an authoritative forum is another confirmation of the high activity of the republic’s women in the international compatriots movement. Thanks to such meetings, ties between the regions of Russia and compatriots abroad are strengthening, positive experiences are spreading, and new joint projects are being born.