Kazakhstan, Astana 25 September / corr Trend K.Konirova / The United Nations announced 2010 "The international year of cultures rapprochement" at Kazakhstan's initiative, Marat Tajin, the minister of foreign affairs, said in his speech at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Civilizations Alliance Group of friends, held during the 63rd UN General Assembly in New-York, the Ministry informs.
Kazakhstan is implementing work in this direction. It is planned to hold an international forum with participation of the representatives from clergy, political, scientific, cultural circles.
The Kazakh foreign minister said that as a future Chairman of OSCE in 2010 and in CFAM of OIC in 2011, Kazakhstan plans to advance dialogue among cultures and religions, strengthening of tolerance and continuation of the member countries' efforts on struggle against all forms of discrimination in these two biggest regional organizations.
In his report Tajin stressed the important input of Kazakhstan into development of ideas brought by the Alliance of civilizations. President Nursultan Nazarbayev`s initiative on organization of meetings of world and traditional religious leaders is considered by the international community as an efficient mechanism to develop the dialogue of cultures and civilizations. The Kazakh foreign minister stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration between the Secretariats of the Alliance of Civilizations and the Congress of religions.
On 17 October Astana will host the international conference "The common world: progress through diversity" of the ministers of foreign affairs of Asian, African and European countries, which targets to arrange and strengthen the positive interaction between the Muslim world and the West.
Addressing the meeting Ian Kubish, Slovakia's foreign minister, and Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference appraised Kazakhstan's initiative.
Kazakhstan is a member of Group of Friends of the Alliance established under the UN aegis since 2005. The group currently unites 78 countries and 13 international organizations.
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