Today regular ninth Session of the Secretariat of the Congress was opened under the chairmanship of Kasym-Zhomart Tokaev, the Speaker of the Senate of the Parliament, the Head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, in the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation  in Astana.       

 Preceding the start of forum, Kasym-Zhomart Tokaev expressed his gratitude to the leaders of delegations for continuous and active participation in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.    

In the Speaker's opinion, it is necessary to promote religious tolerance, develop constructive dialogue and mutual confidence to establish trust-worthy peace on the earth, open the dialogue of the religions.  

"The foundation of every faith should not be distorted and the science of the religion cannot be the instrument of the policy and ideology", the Speaker said.

Touching upon the tasks of this forum, K.Tokaev noted "current work will allow resuming the III Congress and developing appropriate plan till 2012, where further enhancement of activity of interdenominational summit may have primacy".

Pursuant to the Speaker's words, inter-religious forum conducting starting from 2003 due to the initiative and support of Nursultan Nazarbaev, the President of Kazakhstan, plays important role in promotion of inter-religious consent in the world and achievement of harmony between the civilizations. And the world community has acknowledged this fact.  

Having noticed the fact Kazakhstan will be in the chair in OSCE since next year and head the Organization of Islamic Conference in 2011, K.Tokaev stressed that this "gives the possibility to Kazakhstan to make worthy contribution to the development of inter-religious, inter-civilization and intercultural dialogue between Islamic states and Western countries".

Touching upon the initiative to conduct the summit of the heads of the OSCE states next summer in Astana, the Speaker stressed it is proposed to include the elaboration of the Program of the actions on interethnic and interdenominational confidence provision into the agenda of the forum.     

The participants of the Session exchanged comprehensively their views relatively the results of the third Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and discussed the problems concerning activity of the Secretariat of the Congress.

   Press Service of the Senate of

Parliament