Vice President Karin, Vatican delegation discuss interfaith dialogue and child protection issues

Erlan Karin, Vice President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held talks with Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See.

During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation within the Congress and the Colloquium, as well as the implementation of joint humanitarian initiatives.

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad conveyed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev warm greetings from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and extended his best wishes to the people of Kazakhstan.

Following the meeting, Erlan Karin and Cardinal George Koovakad participated in the opening of the Second Joint Colloquium, dedicated to protecting the life, health, and dignity of children suffering from severe and incurable diseases.

The event brought together representatives of government agencies, religious organizations, healthcare and academic institutions, and expert communities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony,  Karin emphasized that interfaith dialogue should produce tangible humanitarian outcomes. He also highlighted the large-scale political and socio-economic reforms being implemented under the leadership of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

According to the Vice President, improving citizens' well-being is the primary objective of these reforms, while protecting children, especially the most vulnerable, remains one of the key priorities of state policy.

Participants discussed the Charter of the Rights of the Incurable Child, a project being promoted as a joint Kazakhstan-Vatican initiative. Erlan Karin thanked the Dicastery and the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital for their contribution to the preparation of the document and pointed out the hospital's cooperation with the University Medical Center Corporate Fund.

In conclusion, the Vice President wished the participants productive work and meaningful discussions.

Earlier, it was reported that Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful and Christian communities to pray throughout October for an end to wars and peace among nations.