Protocol

MINUTES OF THE XXIII SESSION OF THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CONGRESS OF THE LEADERS OF WORLD AND TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

On September 16, 2025 in Astana under the chairmanship of the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions Maulen ASHIMBAYEV the XXIII Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held

The session was attended by:

Representatives of Islam (7):

1. Mahmoud Siddiq Hassan Abdunabi, Vice-President of Postgraduate and Research of Al-Azhar University (Egypt).
2. Abdurrahman Al-Zaid, the Deputy Secretary-General of the World Islamic League (KSA).
3. His Virtue, Prof. Dr. Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims' Board, Sheikh ul-Islam of Caucasus (Azerbaijan).
4. Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahed Abdullah Al-Arifi, Advisor to the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia).
5. Usama Fakhri, Head of the Central Department for Mosques and the Holy Quran of the Ministry of Waqfs of Egypt, Doctor (Egypt).
6. Ali Akbar Ziaei, Head of the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue of the Organization for Culture and Islamic Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Doctor (Iran).
7. Muhammad Zia Ul-Haq, Director General of the Islamic Research Institute at the International Islamic University of Islamabad, Doctor (Pakistan).

REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRISTIANITY (5):

8. Nektarios, representative of the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem in Istanbul (Israel).
9. Iliya Kashitsyn, Secretary for Interreligious Relations of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Executive Secretary of the Interreligious Council of Russia, priest (Russia).
10. Laurent Basanese, Head of the Office of Islamic Affairs of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See (Vatican).
11. Rostislav Novgorodov, Bishop, Primate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan, Representative of the Lutheran World Federation (Switzerland).
12. Jo Bailey Wells, Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Bishop for Episcopal Ministry of the Anglican Communion (Great Britain).

REPRESENTATIVE OF JUDAISM (2):

13. Shlomo Kook, Representative of the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi (Israel).
14. David Antebi Sakka, Representative of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi (Israel).

REPRESENTATIVE OF BUDDHISM (2):

15. Jing Bo, Vice Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, Representative of the Buddhist Association of China (China).
16. Munjong, Director of the Department of Missionary Research of the Korean Buddhist Jogye Order (Republic of Korea).

REPRESENTATIVE OF HINDUISM (1):

17. Samir Shantilal Somaiya, President of Somaiya Vidyavihar (India).

REPRESENTATIVE OF DAOISM (1):

18. Li Guangfu, Chairman of the China Taoist Association (China).

REPRESENTATIVE OF SHINTOISM (1):

19. Sachiko Iitsuka, Head of the International and Public Relations Department of the Association of Shinto Shrines “Jinja Honcho” (Japan).

REPRESENTATIVE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (2):

20. Nihal Saad, Director of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.
21. Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders (UAE).

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS OF KАZAKHSTAN (4):

22. Nauryzbay Haji Taganuly, Chairman of the Muslim Spiritual Board of Kazakhstan, the Grand Mufti.
23. Gennady, Bishop of Kaskelen, Vicar of the Astana Diocese, Administrator of the Affairs of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
24. Tomash Bernard Peta, Archbishop-Metropolitan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Mary in Astana.
25. Yeshaya Elazar Cohen, Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan.

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN (6):

26. Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
27. Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
28. Akan Rakhmetullin, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
29. Kanat Iskakov, Vice-Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
30. Gulsana Kozhabay, Chairman of the Board of the International Center for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue.
31. Bulat Sarsenbayev, Commissioner for the Promotion of the Goals and Objectives of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

During the XXIII Session of the Congress Secretariat, the following agenda was approved:

1. Adoption of the agenda of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
2. Election of Goodwill Ambassadors of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
3. Discussion of the Declaration of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
4. Determination of the date and venue of the XXIV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
5. Determination of the date and venue of the IX Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
6. Adoption of the Minutes of the XXIII Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

During the Session of the XXIII Congress Secretariat a fruitful and constructive exchange of views on all items of the Agenda took place.

All members of the Secretariat participated in the speeches and discussions on the above issues.

Taking into account the proposals of the participants of the XXIII Session of the Congress Secretariat, the following decisions were made:

1. To approve the Agenda of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
2. To elect Goodwill Ambassadors of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions:
3. Anthony – Metropolitan of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian Federation).
4. Muhammad Zia Ul-Haq – Director General of the Institute of Islamic Research, International Islamic University Islamabad (Pakistan).
5. Afra Al Sabri – Director General, Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence (United Arab Emirates).
6. Michael Hübner – Secretary General of the Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Union (Germany).
7. Bulat Sarsenbayev – Commissioner for the Promotion of the Goals and Objectives of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions (Kazakhstan).

3. To approve the draft Declaration of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
4. To hold the next XXIV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on October 7, 2026 in Astana.

In order to ensure high-quality preparation for the XXIV Session of the Secretariat of the Congress on October 6, 2026 to hold a regular Session of the Working Group of the Secretariat.

5. To hold the IX Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2028 in Astana.
6. To adopt the Minutes of the XXIII Session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
7. To inform leaders of world and traditional religions and other prominent religious figures about the adopted decisions.

Done in Astana on September 16, 2025 in one original copy in Kazakh, Russian, English, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Korean and Turkish languages, where all language versions of the document are equally valid.

The Minutes shall be kept at the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions – International Centre for Interfaith and Interreligious Dialogue, which will send to each Party its certified copy.

Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana,

September 16, 2025