On February 26 - March 2, the Chairman of the Board of the N. Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue, the Commissioner for the Promotion of the goals and objectives of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Bulat Sarsenbayev visited the State of Israel.
During his visit to Jerusalem, B. Sarsenbayev met with the number of political and religious leaders of the country, presented official invitations on behalf of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem, Chief Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau to the upcoming VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will be held on September 14-15, 2022 in Nur-Sultan.
Also in Khaiva, B.Sarsenbayev presented an invitation to the VII Congress on behalf of Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Maulen Ashimbayev to Secretary General of the Baha'i International Community David Rutstein.
During the bilateral meetings, B. Sarsenbayev expressed gratitude to the spiritual leaders of Israel for their constant support and active participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which has been held in the capital of Kazakhstan since 2003.
In turn, religious leaders expressed gratitude to the leadership of Kazakhstan for the invitation and noted the importance of holding such events as the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which has proven itself over many years as an effective unique dialogue platform.
In addition, at meetings in the Israeli Foreign Ministry with Director of Department for World Religions Tanya Berg-Rafaeli and Director of Central Asia and Caucasus Department Michal Hershkovitz, the parties exchanged views on cooperation within international organizations and in the field of interreligious dialogue.
For reference: From the State of Israel participated: in the work of the I Congress in 2003 - Chief Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger; II Congress in 2006 - Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger; III Congress in 2009 - President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan Yeshaya Cogen; IV Congress in 2012 - Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophil III, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel Yona Metzger, Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Shlomo Amar, Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan Yeshaya Cogen; V Congress in 2015 - Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef; VI Congress in 2018 - Patriarch of the Holy city of Jerusalem and all of Palestine, Syria, Arabia, obonpol of Jordan, Cana of Galilee and Holy Zion Theophilus III, Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau, Secretary General Of The Baha'i World Center Joshua Lincoln and others.
