President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev took part in the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. This was announced by the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the national portal "Adyrna" reported.
The VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions began with a minute's silence for prayer.
Opening the plenary session "The role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of humanity in the post-pandemic period", the Head of State noted that it is a great honor for Kazakhstan to gather together the most respected spiritual leaders of the world and establish a dialogue. In his speech, the President noted that it's a great honor for our country to meet the most prestigious spiritual leaders of the world and create a dialogue. The President expressed his gratitude to the head of the Vatican and the Catholic Church Pope Francis, the Supreme Imam of the oldest Al-Azhar Islamic University Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel David Lau, Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef and all participants of the forum. .
"I thank you all for accepting our invitation and coming to Kazakhstan. This shows that we are all interested in maintaining peace and strengthening intercivilizational dialogue. Today's meeting has a special meaning in today's time full of change and uncertainty. Our congress has become a collegial meeting at the global level, establishing an intercivilizational dialogue. It is not for nothing that Kazakhstan took the initiative to hold this forum. Because the Kazakh land has been a bridge between the West and the East for centuries. Some huge nomadic empires lived here, that is, in the Great Steppe region. Religious moderation is a common characteristic of all of them," said Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev.
