He won warm applause from the leaders of the Islamic world when he said through an interpreter that terrorism should not be equated to any religion.
While always slated to attend as an observer, he was not on the list of speakers for the summit, which is the biggest Islamic conference since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.
"The position of Russia is constant and clear. Terrorism must not be equated to any religion, culture, tradition, or any way of life," Putin said.
He went on to say that "Russian Muslims are an inalienable part of Russia".
Russia is home to some 20-million Muslims - around one inhabitant in seven.
Like other religions, Islam saw a surge in membership after the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.
However Russia has garnered much criticism from the Muslim world over its brutal war against separatist rebels in the mainly Muslim republic of Chechnya.
Putin said there were now more than 7 000 mosques in Russia compared to about 700 in 1991.
Russia and the Islamic countries could have a "mutually advantageous cooperation," he said, pointing out that both want a central United Nations role for settling international problems - an apparent reference to their joint opposition to the US-led war on Iraq.
Among the more than 30 other leaders present at the summit are the presidents of Syria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, Algeria and Sudan. – Sapa-AFP.
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