17 September 2026, Ljubljana — Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Slovenia Altay Abibullayev held a meeting with the Archbishop of Ljubljana and Metropolitan Stanislav Zore, during which a wide range of issues related to strengthening interfaith harmony, promoting interreligious dialogue, and cooperation on international platforms were discussed.
The Ambassador briefed the head of the Catholic Church in Slovenia on the constitutional and domestic political reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan, the country’s model of interethnic and interfaith harmony, as well as Kazakhstan’s consistent efforts to advance the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, regularly held in Astana with the participation of representatives of the Holy See and leading world religious denominations.
Particular attention was paid to further developing cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Holy See within the interreligious agenda. In this context, the Ambassador spoke about the Second Joint Colloquium of Kazakhstan and the Holy See on the Protection of Children, as well as the upcoming 24th meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, scheduled to take place in Astana in October this year.
Archbishop Stanislav Zore highly appreciated Kazakhstan’s peacemaking and interreligious initiatives and expressed support for the country’s efforts to build bridges of mutual understanding among peoples, cultures, and religions. He also briefed the Ambassador on the activities of the Interreligious Forum for Dialogue and Peace in the Balkans, organized by the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference, which brings together representatives of Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish, Lutheran, and other religious communities, as well as the Holy See.
The Archbishop particularly emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of dialogue and building “bridges” between different religious and national communities as a key condition for strengthening peace and trust, especially in light of the historical experience of the Balkan region.
The Ambassador and the head of the Catholic Church in Slovenia noted the shared approaches underpinning the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana and the Interreligious Forum for Dialogue and Peace in the Balkans, both of which are based on the principles of openness, mutual respect, and direct communication among representatives of different faiths. The parties noted the value of establishing and further developing contacts and exchanging experience between relevant Kazakh and Slovenian religious institutions and interfaith platforms.
The parties reaffirmed their interest in continuing the dialogue and developing practical cooperation in the field of interreligious engagement, including in addressing contemporary global challenges, tackling social issues, fostering youth development, protecting human dignity, and promoting the values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
