Chairman of the Management Board of the N.Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue B.Sarsenbayev and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board M.Karabayeva as part of the Kazakhstan's delegation led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov participated in the 9th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Fez, Morocco.
The forum was chaired by the UN Secretary General for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Moratinos, which was also attended by the foreign ministers of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.In total, more than 1,000 delegates from 95 countries attended the event, including 44 ministerial-level delegations.
Speaking at the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilizations, Umarov noted Kazakhstan's rich experience in building a tolerant society, as well as the unique model of interfaith dialogue in our country.
Special attention was paid to the initiative of Kazakhstan - the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, as well as the results of the VII Congress held in September 2022 in Astana.
In particular, the Kazakh diplomat emphasized the importance of joint efforts of the international community to promote inter-religious, intercultural, and inter-civilization dialogue.
In his speech at the plenary session devoted to the role of religious leaders in promoting peaceful coexistence and social harmony, B.Sarsenbayev noted the high importance of holding the global forum of the Alliance of Civilizations. The choice of the Kingdom of Morocco as a place where the dialogue of cultures, religions and civilizations took place since ancient times is not accidental. Morocco and Kazakhstan have long-standing historical ties that date back to the journey of the Moroccan scientist and traveller Ibn Battuta to the Golden Horde. Having passed through the territory of modern Kazakhstan, Ibn Battuta contributed to the strengthening of diplomatic ties between the states of the Great Steppe, Africa and the East. The connection of civilizations from Morocco to China in the person of Ibn Battuta today is an inspiration for Kazakhstan, which regularly holds a Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
I hope that the VII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Kazakhstan as a fundamentally new system of cooperation of spiritual leaders has enriched the practice of international and religious interaction with innovative ideas and fresh proposals," B.Sarsenbayev said.
On the sidelines of the Forum, B.Sarsenbayev held bilateral meetings as part of the Kazakhstan's delegation with High Representative of the UN Secretary General for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Moratinos, Secretary General of the Council of Muslim Elders Mohamed Abdelsalam.
During the meetings, the parties discussed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues.
