Senate Speaker K.Tokayev holds meetings within OSCE Summit
They discussed the issues of interaction of Kazakhstan and Vatican on development of an interreligious dialogue, one of the most important instruments in maintaining peace and harmony among nations.
The Speaker thanked the Cardinal Secretary of State for assistance in holding the congresses of world and traditional religions and noted that at present within the framework of a working group the fourth congress of religious leaders is under preparation and it is scheduled to be held in Astana in 2012.
"Our country pays important significance to the theme of interfaith dialogue and concord", K.Tokayev said emphasizing that policy of tolerance and religions respect is a permanent factor of our common strategy.
In 2011 Kazakhstan will head the Organization of the Islamic Conference. "Our country intends to promote ideas of moderate and civilized Islam, continue to construct bridges between various religions", the Speaker said.
Tarcisio Bertone highly appraised Kazakhstan's initiatives in development of the interfaith dialogue and noted that "we can come to closer cooperation and fraternal relations through peace and harmony".
On the same day Senate Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Kostyantyn Hryshchenko. They discussed the issues of further strengthening bilateral relations including at the level of interparliamentary interaction.