Ethiopia to attend VIII Congress of World and Traditional Religions' Leaders in Astana

The meeting focused on the issues of cooperation between Kazakhstan and Ethiopia in interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

Ambassador Sadykov acquainted the Ethiopian side with Kazakhstan's policy of ensuring interreligious dialogue, as well as the upcoming VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions scheduled for September 2025 in Astana.

Secretary-General Tadele expressed gratitude for the invitation and confirmed his participation in the upcoming Congress, highly appreciating Kazakhstan’s efforts in promoting the ideas of peace, tolerance, and dialogue among various religions and cultures.

At the end of the meeting, the Ethiopian side wished Kazakhstan success in holding the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, noting that the event will become an important platform for constructive dialogue and strengthening global interreligious interaction.

Ethiopia possesses a rich cultural and religious heritage (Christianity has been practiced here since the 4th century, and Islam - since the 7th century). Today, the country’s population exceeds 125 million people, of which 44% are Christians (mainly representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church), 34% are Muslims, and 23% are Evangelicals. In 2010 the country set up  the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia (IRCE)  to unite the main religious communities, to maintain religious freedom, harmony, and well-being.

As it was reported, in January, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Madiyar Menilbekov had a meeting with the Deputy Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Abdulrahman Alzaid. The meeting focused on the main areas of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Muslim World League, including within the framework of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, as well as issues related to the development of interreligious and intercivilizational dialogue at the international level