MOSCOW : Islamic countries do not support the West’s sanctions on Russia, and the agreements signed at this week’s Kazan economic forum prove this, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said, local media reported.

Bringing together delegations from Russia and the countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the ‘Russia-Islamic World’ forum in the city of Kazan resulted in hundreds of meetings and more than 100 trade agreements being signed, Khusnullin said, RT reported.

“The forum has become a place where political and economic interests have gathered, because the countries of the Muslim world support us,” he stated. “None of the countries of the Muslim world support sanctions against us,” RT reported.

While a handful of Arab nations – most notably Saudi Arabia and Egypt – formally condemned Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, no Islamic nation has followed the West’s lead and imposed economic sanctions on Moscow.

Trade between the Islamic world and Russia has continued largely unimpeded, and Khusnullin revealed that more deals are in the works, including bilateral agreements on agricultural products and Halal food, crude oil processing, and banking.

Increased trade will be facilitated by the construction of the International North South Transport Corridor, a 7,200-km span of ship, rail, and road routes for moving cargo between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe, RT reported.

Moving freight from Russia to India is quicker and cheaper than via the traditional Suez Canal route, while eliminating the risk posed by EU sanctions, RT reported. — IANS