DUSHANBE, June 24, 2015, Asia-Plus – The Kazakh capital, Astana, hosted the 5th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on June 10–11 for the discussion on inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue and on how to counter the spread of radicalism and terrorism.
The theme of the event that was attended by 80 delegates from 42 countries, including Tajikistan, was “Dialogue of Religious Leaders and Politicians in the Name of Peace and Development.”
Initiated by the Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is held in Astana every three years.
The Congress held its first summit in 2003 and it represents one instrument of the policy of the dialogue of civilizations.
The Congress represents the attempt to find a way of international dialogue and, at the same time, to show to the world the model of coexistence realized by the country.
The 2015 edition was marked by the advance of the menaces of terrorism and extremism in many areas as well as other political controversies, wars and factors of instability. During the plenary sessions and the panels, religious representatives discussed, along with various political leaders and officials of the main international organizations, the role of religion in contemporary society, the value of the dialogue and the role of religious leaders in preventing wars and in promoting social harmony. In addition to Nazarbayev, whose remarks opened and concluded the Congress, the Astana summit was attended by the Secretary General of UN Ban Ki-moon, the King of Jordan Abdullah II of Jordan, the Finnish President Sauli Ninistö, OSCE Secretary Genral Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Iyad Amin Madani and others.
