On November 30, an international online conference on the topic "Regional Partnership of Central Asian countries in strengthening intercultural dialogue" was held at the site of the N. Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue, which issues of further promotion of peace-building policy, mutual understanding and expansion of intercultural interaction of Central Asian countries were discussed.
The event was attended by representatives of government agencies, experts and the scientific community of Central Asian countries: Officer in Charge of UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office M. Magnusson, Leading Research at the Center for Islamic Civilization under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan Sh. Rashidova, Head of the Department of Analysis and Forecasting of Foreign Policy of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan M. Abdujabborov, Head of the Interreligious Dialogue Center of the Bolgar Islamic Academy E. Sadykova, Director of the branch of the Ch.Ch.Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology in Astana, leading researcher M. Kozybayeva, Head of the Department of Religious Studies of the UNESCO Center for World Culture and Religions N. Khan, Director of the Department of Science Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University K. Massadikov, Head of the Science Department of the I International Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures under the auspices of UNESCO V. Tolmachev, Assistant Professor of the Department of Media Communications and History of Kazakhstan, IITU A. Tanabayeva, IWPR Program Coordinator in the Republic of Kazakhstan A. Oryntay, Head of the Department of Religious Studies and Cultural Studies of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University A. Kurmanalieva.
Moderator of the conference, Chairman of the Management Board of the N. Nazarbayev Center B. Sarsenbayev noted that this conference is a unique opportunity to exchange views on diverse issues related to the global prospects for the development of cultural and spiritual dialogue between countries.
"Today's meeting is filled with a special meaning. With all the existing diversity in nationality, religion, political preferences, we all agree that spirituality, morality, culture, respect for each other is the basis for the purification and transformation of society. Sharing the opinion about the usefulness of diversity of cultures and religions, at the same time I consider it necessary to promote the evolution of the world towards a universal civilization based on universal humanistic principles of peace. In this unity in diversity, we see the dialectic of the development of the Central Asian countries," B. Sarsenbayev said.
Separately, the Chairman of the Management Board of the Center stressed the special contribution of the VII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in Astana on September 14-15, which is a unique dialogue platform in the world community to strengthen the principles of harmony and tolerance, mutual understanding and cooperation, both domestically and internationally, and also spoke about the main messages of the final Declaration of the Congress.
The Leading Research at the Center for Islamic Civilization under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan Sh. Rashidova stressed that the development of cooperation between Central Asian countries is a logically correct process of modernity, so, having a common history, mentality, spiritual and moral values, consonant traditions, customs and culturally civilized proximity, the peoples of Central Asia have always welcomed all the principles of good neighborliness. "The centuries-old experience of history makes it possible for the Central Asian region to position itself as the most suitable platform for holding such a dialogue," Sh. Rashidova noted.
In turn, the Head of the Science Department of the I International Center for the Rapprochement of Cultures under the auspices of UNESCO V. Tolmachev noted the high level of the VII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana and suggested that the countries of the region support each other in the regional and international initiatives put forward by each of them.
Summing up the results of the conference, the participants agreed that strengthening regional partnership in the countries of Central Asia is of particular importance, the importance of developing integration processes, international dialogue platforms, taking into account the common history, mentality, spiritual and moral values and the principle of good neighborliness, which has always been welcomed by the countries of Central Asia.
