Religious leaders convene in Astana

15:54, 2 July 2009

ANKARA. July 2. KAZINFORM The two-day Third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions got under way in Astana on Wednesday. Delegations from major faiths, including those adhering to different interpretations of the world's three major monotheistic religions, are taking part in the congress, Kazinform cites Today's Zaman.

More than 60 delegations from various religious groups and representatives from international organizations such as the UN, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) participated in the first day of the event.

The opening session on Monday centered on "The role of religious leaders in the construction of a world based on tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation." The second day of the event will be devoted to work in three issue areas: "Moral and cultural wealth and world ethics," "Dialogue and cooperation," and "Solidarity: especially in crises." Several one-on-one meetings are also taking place between a few of the high-profile participants at the forum, which include Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The congress has been internationally recognized as an effective platform of dialogue for global peace and the advancement of tolerance. Kazakhstan, considered an example of a successful model for the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic and religious communities, has served as the venue of this forum, Kazinform refers to Today's Zaman.

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