29 June 2009, Astana

Your Holinesses!
Dear Guests!

I have a great pleasure to meet with you again at the next session of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana.

Your present arrival to our country is another evidence that the idea of holding the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions keeps to remain actual and in demand in the modern world.   

Taking the opportunity I would like to express gratitude to all participants of the today session of the Congress Secretariat for support to our proposals and initiatives, active and fruitful work during the period between the forums holding.

You have made a significant contribution to the popularization of the ideas of the Congress in the world arena. The work on adjusting contacts with international platforms and organizations in the area of international relations has been resumed. Fruitful contacts with the Saint Gilles Community, "Casa Asia" Institute, "Alliance of Civilizations" and other international religious organizations have been established. And that the representatives of these organizations will participate in this forum is the merit of the Congress Secretariat.

The Secretariat launched the official site of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which is currently working. I invite all participants to make their contribution to the substantial filling of the site.

It won't be an overstatement to say that namely the efficient work of the Secretariat mainly influences qualitative and substantial holding of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will start its work already the day after tomorrow.

Dear Participants,

I would like to say a few words about practical issues of preparation to the forthcoming Third Congress. You know that we defined the subject matter of the plenary session of the next Congress as the "Role of religious leaders in forming the world based on tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation".  

We proceed from the assumption that globalization is one of the most efficient factors affecting further development of modern civilization. World religions are also involved in this process, and Astana interreligious dialogue is called to contribute to forming a new form of global relations of universally recognized confessions.

During separate sectional sessions the participants of the Congress could hold discussions by the following three theme blocks specified in the course of the Seventh Session of the Congress Secretariat held in October 2008 in Almaty: "Moral and Spiritual Values, World Ethics", "Dialogue and Cooperation" and "Solidarity, especially in the crisis period".

From our point of view, such format will allow the religious leaders to exchange opinions on actual problems of modernity, state their visions of interconfessional accord in certain countries and regions, express their assessment and give recommendations in this direction.

According to results of the forthcoming Congress we propose to accept joint Address of the participants which draft has been agreed during the working group session this April. Therefore we wait for proposals and additions from you which I am sure will contribute to improvement and substantial enrichment of the document.

Besides it would be interesting for us to know your opinions with regard to the date of holding the Ninth Session of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the Third Session.

I am sure that continuation of the interreligious dialogue will become an important contribution to the matter of promotion of spiritual values, culture of peace, accord and tolerance in the new millennium.  We can turn our forum into not only the main platform of world interconfessional dialogue but also to a universal tribune of constructive dialogue on actual issues of modernity. 

I wish you fruitful discussions, pleasant impressions and good stay in our country.

Thank you for attention.