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Russian President Plans Visit To Moscow's Grand Mosque


Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov
Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov
MOSCOW -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is scheduled to visit construction works at Moscow's Grand Mosque on July 14, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports.

The Grand Mosque in Moscow has been under reconstruction since 2006.

Although Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov had promised that work would be completed by 2007, the mosque -- touted as Russia’s largest -- is still under construction.

The chief imam of Russia's European regions, Ravil Hazrat Gaynuddin, told RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service that although the project on enlargement of the mosque was supported by Moscow's mayor, the Russian government has not contributed a penny to its implementation.

According to Gaynuddin, investments from Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia have helped construction be sustained despite the global economic downturn.

Gaynuddin expressed his hope that after Medvedev visits the mosque next month, construction works will receive more support from the government.
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