Nursultan Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue organized an international online conference on «Neighborliness of Cultures in the 21st century of Central Asian countries» on 14 August 2024, where IRCICA Director general Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç was invited to deliver an address. The representatives of different religions and traditions from various countries and international research organizations from Central Asian countries addressed the conference. The conference aimed to appraise developments and further intensify partnerships of the Central Asian countries and other countries in promoting interreligious dialogue.
The conference was attended by the Chairman of the Committee on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Yerzhan Nukezhanov; the Acting Chairman of the Board of the Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue Ms. D. Yessenova, as well as scholars and experts from institutes and organizations in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan.
In his opening speech, Mr. Yerzhan Nukezhanov noted that the unity of Central Asia is based on the ethnic, spiritual and historical roots of language and religion. He also noted that the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the article “Renaissance of Central Asia: Towards sustainable development and prosperity” said in this regard that the pillars of Central Asian identity are respect for common historical roots, intercultural dialogue and interfaith harmony.
IRCICA Director General Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç stressed that “The Central Asian region has been a cradle for the closeness of cultures and inter-cultural junctures, which in turn, are support pillars for multi-cultural linkages outside the region. Experiences of multi-cultural coexistence and dialogue were thus carried forward to world-wide interactions and formed part of the Central Asian contributions to Islamic civilization and world civilization.”
The participants touched upon diverse topical issues of the development of interfaith dialogue, multilateral cooperation in the field of cultural and humanitarian dialogue, and intraregional relations of their countries.
