On April 8, 2025, Astana hosted a trilateral meeting with the participation of the Chief Regional Coordinator of the Muslim Council of Elders for Central Asia, Senator Darkhan Kydyrali, Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Nukezhanov, as well as Acting Chairman of the Board of the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue Marat Kalizhanov.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current activities and prospects for the development of the Representative Office of the Muslim Council of Elders in Central Asia, opened in 2024 in Astana. Special attention was paid to the issues of expanding cooperation, including joint work with youth, cultural and humanitarian initiatives, as well as the promotion of the values of peace, tolerance and interreligious harmony.
Following the negotiations, an agreement was reached on the implementation of joint projects within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding between the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue and the Muslim Council of Elders. This decision will undoubtedly give a new impetus to the strengthening of interreligious peacebuilding in Kazakhstan and the development of platforms for dialogue at the international level.
