Kazakhstan: Congress of religious leaders unveils 10-year development plan

Astana [Kazakhstan], October 12 : World religious leaders approved the development concept of 'Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions' for the next 10 years during the 21st session of the secretariat of the congress on Tuesday, the Embassy of Kazakhstan said in a release.
"At the first stage of our forum's activity from 2003 to 2023, the main goal was to strengthen and promote multilateral interreligious dialogue," said Maulen Ashimbayev, chairman of the secretariat and chairperson of the Senate, an upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament.
"Today we can confidently say that this initial mission of the congress has been successfully accomplished. In the coming years, the Congress will continue its efforts to develop and strengthen interreligious dialogue. At the same time, we see great potential in spiritual diplomacy," he added.
Kazakhstan's First Deputy Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov, who is also deputy head of the secretariat, said that the development concept has integrated all the suggestions from the secretariat members.
"I would like to note that our primary aim when preparing the concept was to emphasize joint efforts to strengthen dialogue and trust in pursuit of peace and cooperation, promotion of spiritual and moral values, and the preservation of religious and cultural diversity," he said.
"In the declaration of the seventh congress, spiritual leaders expressed the intention to develop the dialogue platform, to further strengthen cooperation between religions, cultures and civilizations. In this regard, our draft concept is aimed at increasing the role of the Congress in strengthening and promoting inter-religious dialogue and cooperation," he added.
A significant portion of the document focuses on the implementation of the outcomes of the previous congresses, according to Umarov.
"Our aspiration is to develop our dialogue platform into a real mechanism for strengthening interreligious ties at the global level. Particular attention is paid to the issue of developing the capabilities of spiritual diplomacy," he said.
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the event and stated, "This year, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions celebrates its 20th anniversary. Over this time, the forum has demonstrated its significance and relevance. Today, it serves as an important platform for promoting interreligious and inter-civilizational dialogue".
He said that for two decades, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions has significantly contributed to the strengthening of interreligious peace and harmony, has promoted ideas of tolerance and mutual support and has been instrumental in addressing critical global challenges.
"Within the framework of the Congress, spiritual leaders from around the world regularly convene to discuss pressing issues affecting people worldwide. Ideas and proposals aimed at preserving peace, strengthening dialogue, and fostering a culture of mutual respect and cooperation resonate on this platform. In the current difficult international environment, the importance of values such as morality, kindness, and humanism is growing," Tokayev said.
He added, "To address the key challenges facing humanity, it is important to form a new system of international security. For this purpose, it is necessary to unite global forces in favour of peace and stability. Spiritual leaders can play a significant role in today's world. I am confident that leaders of world religions will collaborate and make a substantial contribution to addressing global problems faced by humanity. These and other important issues will be discussed at today's Secretariat meeting. I am confident that the meeting will be both insightful and productive".
The Kazakhstan President further said that the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions will continue to make an important contribution to strengthening global peace and harmony.
"The Republic of Kazakhstan is committed to supporting initiatives to promote interreligious and inter-civilizational dialogue as one of the key priorities of our foreign policy," Tokayev added.