Washington, April 10, 2024 – As part of the Kazakh delegation's participation in training sessions on the promotion of interfaith dialogue and cooperation organized by the American NGO “LYN Community”, a roundtable on religious freedom was held at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the United States, dedicated to the holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
The event was attended by representatives from the State Department, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, participants from the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, as well as representatives of various religious denominations from Kazakhstan and the United States.
Opening the event, Ambassador Y. Ashikbayev congratulated the guests on the end of the holy month of Ramadan and noted that religious freedom is one of the main directions of democratic transformations in Kazakhstan. Special attention was paid to the activities of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which has established itself as a reliable platform for maintaining interfaith dialogue and developing joint measures to promote peace.
Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, David Saperstein, stressed the role of Kazakhstan in maintaining interfaith harmony. In his opinion, “interreligious dialogue helps unite the efforts of people of different faiths and nationalities to fight against global threats.”
M.Elsanousi, Director of the Secretariat of the Network of Religious and Traditional Peacekeepers (NRTP), noted that Kazakhstan has managed to unite leaders of various religions to solve common issues.
On the same day, the sixth meeting of the Working Expert Group on Religious Freedom between Kazakhstan and the United States took place.
Anuar Khatiev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, headed the Kazakh delegation. The American side was represented by Deputy U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Jason McInerney.
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The Kazakh delegation emphasized priorities in the field of protecting religious freedom in Kazakhstan, fostering interaction with non-governmental sectors and religious associations, and further liberalizing national legislation.
Special attention was given to the activities of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which has established itself as a reliable platform for maintaining interfaith dialogue and developing joint measures to promote peace.
The American side commended Kazakhstan's achievements in building a successful model of interfaith harmony, emphasizing the country's proactive stance in the region.
Following the meeting, the participants agreed to continue their constructive dialogue. The Kazakh side proposed holding the next meeting of the Working Expert Group in Kazakhstan next year.
https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-washington/press/news/details/747209?lang=en
