Official Statements:

September 20, 2007. The VI session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders was held in Astana on September 18-19. It was chaired by H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliamnet of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

About 40 guests from the 26 world religious organizations took part in the sitting. Mr. Katsuji Iwahashi,  the representative of Jinja-Honcho (Association of Shinto Shrines) also took part in the meeting.

The proposals on the theme and agenda of the III Congress of World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders were discussed at the sitting. Issues on creation of a working group on preparation of the final documents of the 3rd Congress, settlement of date and place of holding the 7th sitting and adoption of a protocol of the 6th Secretariat’s sitting will be considered as well.

The head of the Secretariat of the Congress of the World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders,  Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered an opening address at the VI meeting of the Secretariat in Astana.

Dear participants!

It is a great pleasure to me to greet the participants of the VI session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders in the Astana Palace of Peace and Accord, built especially for hosting religious meetings.

I’d like to congratulate all the Muslims on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan!

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev is known to initiate holding an interfaith dialogue on the high-level which sprang to life in 2003 when the I Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions took place.

Timeliness, urgency and a constructive dialogue were the keystone of success of the forum that attracted attention of the world community. The well-known religious figures and politicians gave support to the Congress. We consider this step as an acknowledgment of significant contribution of the forum to establishment of a dialogue between the religions and cultures, the process of sharing opinions on issues of public concern. The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, turned then for a couple of days into a spiritual capital of the world.

The II Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions held in the same Palace in 2006 was even more representative and successful.

We can safely say to date this initiative keeps on proving its demand.

The conflict potential of the modern international community, called sometimes a clash of civilizations, bears intricate intertwining of contradictions, triggered off broadly by the process of globalization. Information flows, as a result of globalization, now and then ruthlessly encroach upon spiritual life of the society and people’s private life. Scientific development and new technologies have affect on ethic aspects of people’s activity too.

Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev making a speech at the II Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions gave a precise estimation to the influence of globalization on people’s life noting “masses of various cultures and religions came into direct contacts. Migration, television and cultural models have intermingled with each other.”

It is our belief that no global unification may take place. Each society is unique and each country has the right to choose its own way of development.

Unfortunately, political and public mechanisms for a way out form the current situation were inefficient. Contradictions, conflict and wars of the modern world, many of them of religious or ethic hint, require more distinctly affirmation of culture of dialogue and cooperation as an ethic basis for the international policy. I’m confident spiritual and ethnic values should pave the foundation for the said principles.

The world community recognized the Congress contributes to overcoming interfaith contradictions, a search for efficient means of cultural and spiritual collaboration.

The Congress is also a significant and efficacious international political instrument called to serve strengthening of peace and stability, joining of efforts of political and religious figures for rapprochement of civilizations, nations and countries.

The Declaration adopted following the results of the II Congress of the Leaders of the World and Traditional Religions urges the international and regional organizations, states and governments the worldwide to support the process of a dialogue of civilizations, make constant efforts to strengthen the world culture.

Spiritual, ethic and humanitarian education is a common objective of the state and religious societies. Such measures let predict not only ethnic and religious conflicts but also overcome other social evils of the society.

We express readiness to back initiatives aimed at achieving harmonious development of the society, rapprochement of the West and East in understanding key issues of the present-day world order.

June 20-23 this year Astana welcomed the XIV general assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy involving the deputies of the Parliament of Kazakhstan and experts from 15 states of the world. Besides, we held an international scientific conference on “Islamic civilization in Central Asia” with the participation of 120 reps of various religious alliances, international organizations, scientists, theologians and experts from 21 countries.

This October Kazakhstan’s delegation will attend an Interfaith Meeting for Peace in Naples.

Kazakhstan strives to demonstrate the peace and consent between the nations and religions are completely accessible, requiring trust, tolerance and will for a dialogue.

Thank you for attention.

“Kazakhstan becomes a dialogue platform for the world cultures and religions”, Muhamad Iqbal Sullam, the Secretary General of Nahdatul Ulama Islamic Organization of Indonesia, participant of the VI session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders said. According to him, Kazakhstan is the bridge between East and West, Christian and Muslim worlds, Slavonic and Turkic nations.

“Gradually, religion becomes one of the most important parts of the spiritual culture of people, important social institution”, Muhamad Iqbal Sullam emphasized.

The VII sitting of the Secretariat of the Congress of the World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders will take place on October 28-29 in Almaty. As is known the general event, III Congress of the World and Traditional Religions’ Leaders, will be held in 2009 in Astana.