Senator Akhan Bizhanov: People's Assembly of Kazakhstan - important tool of strengthening Kazakhstan model of inter-ethnic tolerance

ASTANA. November 24. KAZINFORM Issues of ethno-religious pluralism and problems of integration were discussed at a conference in the Hague on the initiative of the Kazakh Embassy in the Netherlands on Tuesday, November 23.

The event organized within Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE was attended by the Kazakh parliamentarians headed by Chairman of the Senate Committee for Socio-
Cultural Development Akhan Bizhanov, the press service of the Upper Chamber of the Kazakh Parliament says.

Taking the floor, head of the Kazakh delegation Akhan Bizhanov said: "Promotion of tolerance and inter-cultural dialogue is considered as a key priority of the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the OSCE".

Having told about Kazakhstan's initiatives on this post, A. Bizhanov touched upon the issues of state policy in strengthening inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony.

"Due to constructive and adjusted policy of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, our country successfully implements the measures on revival, preservation and development of ethno-cultural diversity and unity. We could create the atmosphere of tolerance, mutual respect, rejection of isolation, ethnic and religious extremes", the Senator said.

"The Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan is the most important tool of strengthening Kazakhstan model of inter-ethnic tolerance", A. Bizhanov noted and informed of legislative regulation of the activity of this structure.

As for inter-religious consent ensuring, Mr. Bizhanov stressed that "Kazakhstan's model of inter-faith dialogue includes the constitutional principle of separation of religion and state, equality of all religious associations before the law and solution of all problems of the religious relations in legal field".

As the Kazakh Senator noted, the growing interest of the global community to the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions initiated by President N. Nazarbayev proved that this event had become an integral part of the global process of establishment of inter-civilization and inter-faith dialogue.

The Kazakh parliamentarians met with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek, Chairman of the First Chamber of the States-General of the Netherlands R. van der Linden and senators of the Netherlands Parliament.