NUR-SULTAN — The Seventh Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions kicked off Wednesday in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan under the title "The Role of World Leaders and Traditional Religions in the Spiritual and Social Development of Humanity in the Post-COVID 19 Epidemic".

The event began in the presence of the Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, with the participation of high-ranking figures from around the world.

The Kazakh president stressed that the crises facing the world in various fields, whether energy crises, environmental crises, or climate change, had serious repercussions on international relations. He stressed the need to sit at the dialogue table to overcome the crisis of confidence that is afflicting the world.

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, stressed in his speech the importance of the conference in building dialogue among civilizations, and the role of religious leaders in strengthening trust in Allah Almighty and building bridges of communication and acquaintance between all groups of the same society of different faiths and between different societies, especially in times of crisis.

Dr. Al Al-Sheikh said, “Religious leaders must contribute to ending conflicts, combating sectarianism and intolerance, promoting the values of good citizenship, confronting hate crimes, inciting sedition, and assaulting others because of race, religion or color.”

The Congress will continue its work for the next two days. — SPA