Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions kicks off in Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN, 14th September, 2022 (WAM) — The 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions kicked off today in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, under the title “The Role of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in the Spiritual and Social Development of Human Civilisation in the Post-Pandemic Period”.

The opening ceremony was attended by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders; Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, alongside 108 other religious and world leaders from 60 different countries.

The two-day Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is a unique interfaith forum convened every three years in Nur-Sultan at the initiative of the First President of Kazakhstan. This forum has played an important role in the rapprochement of cultures and civilisations in searching for answers to the key challenges of current time.

The congress affirms Kazakhstan’s prominent role in supporting peace, tolerance and dialogue initiatives between leaders and followers of religions, based on the great role of religious leaders in spreading the voice of moderation to promote dialogue, and combating religious intolerance that some extremist organisations seek within societies.