The Russia-ASEAN International Summit is currently taking place in Kazan, on the sidelines of which the heads of state and government of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states are meeting. Discussions at the summit include expanding economic cooperation, trade ties, food security, and increasing trade turnover between the countries. At the ASEAN Business Forum, the goal of increasing trade turnover between Russia and member countries to $100 billion per year was announced.

The Halal Standards Committee of the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan could become the link through which Russian producers can obtain international halal certificates of conformity and enter the ASEAN markets. “The Committee is accredited in Indonesia (BPJPH), Malaysia (JAKIM), and Taiwan (THIDA), and is actively working to obtain accreditation in Singapore (MUIS) to open a new export route,” noted Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov, Chairman of the Halal Standards Committee of the Muslim Spiritual Council of the Republic of Tatarstan. These countries represent the world’s largest Muslim markets, and to successfully enter them, producers must obtain halal certification for their products.

The Halal Standards Committee of the Muslim Spiritual Council of the Republic of Tatarstan is consistently building international recognition for its certification system and plans to expand the list of countries with confirmed accreditation. The Committee is currently working extensively on the Singapore route. In December 2025, the Committee submitted the relevant documents to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura) and received feedback from the regulator in the form of a return visit.

It took place in May 2026, on the sidelines of the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum 2026.” A delegation from MUIS, led by Muhammad Faisal Bin Othman, Director of the Halal Department of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, visited the Halal Standards Committee of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan in Kazan. At the meeting, Chairman Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov spoke about Russian certification practices, the Committee’s activities, the Russian and international accreditations it has received, and the development of the halal industry in Tatarstan. The delegates were impressed by the extensive work undertaken by the Halal Standards Committee of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan towards international recognition, as well as by the significant achievements at the state level.

It is worth mentioning that earlier in September 2025, Abbyas Hazrat Shlyaposhnikov participated in the first Singapore International Halal Seminar (SHIS). The meeting marked the first direct contact with a foreign regulator in the format of an official event.

The visit of the Singapore delegation indicates that the foreign party is considering the Halal Standards Committee of the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Republic of Tatarstan as a candidate for inclusion in the FHCB (Foreign Halal Certification Bodies) registry—a system for recognizing foreign halal certification bodies managed by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). If accredited, products certified by the Committee will gain direct access to the Singapore market. Cooperation between the bodies is currently in its final stages. We thank our colleagues from the Religious Council of Singapore for visiting the Halal Standards Committee of the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Conclusion
Halal certification is today not only an important element of the product quality assurance system but also an effective tool for developing Russian exports to ASEAN countries. For Russian manufacturers, certification opens up additional opportunities to enter the Southeast Asian market, and for ASEAN countries, it provides access to reliable suppliers of high-quality and safe products.

Press Service of the Halal Standards Committee of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of the Republic of Tatarstan