If in the seventh edition, in 2022, Pope Francis was present, in what was the second visit of a High Pontiff to Kazakhstan after John Paul II in 2001, this time Leo XIV, who has not made any trip since taking over the throne of St. Peter, made a point of sending a message: “I am confident that the work of this Congress will inspire us to work without rest for harmony, creating a synergy for peace – a synergy that is unarmed and disarmed, humble and persevering, always seeking charity and approaching those who suffer.”
Ninth largest country in the world, also the largest in countries without direct access to the oceans, Kazakhstan has been affirmed since independence in 1991 defender of multivectoral diplomacy, which contradicted the fact that geography put it between the giants Russia and China. Defined by Nursultan Nazarbayev, the father of independence and first president, and continued by Tokayev, who aims to take the country to a new level of development and international relevance, this multivectoral diplomacy allowed strong ties with Western Europe and the United States. Seen as a medium power, capable of building bridges, Kazakhstan also has a mediator approach to the religious issue, reason for being from this congress of religions. And the strength of its external influence in this matter results in much of the very ability to manage internal equilibries in religiosity. Contrary to the inevitability of the clash of civilizations, the controversial thesis of American Samuel Huntington, is a priority, and not by chance the first congress was in 2003, two years after the visit of John Paul II right after the attacks of September 11.
“The 21st century is materialistic. It’s not just about legal, geopolitical, economic and financial dimensions, but if we really want to understand the complexity of the world, we need to incorporate the spiritual and ethical elements. Therefore, therefore, No one should oppose that a secular society, a secular government, with the objective of providing space and understanding, is interest in the contributions of different beliefs and religions, ”says Miguel Ángel Moratinos, a high representative of the United Nations for the alliance of civilizations.
“Religious coexistence here in Kazakhstan works well. It all comes down to people who make decisions based on a simple axiom: mutual respect and acceptance. If everyone respects each other, sometimes there will be a Muslim majority, in other countries a Christian majority, in other cases a Jewish majority. But we need to respect others. Opposites, ”adds the former Foreign Minister of Spain, in a quick conversation with the DN, at an interval of Astana work. Regarding the fact that Jewish, Muslim, and Christian representatives, and others, are in Astana together to dialogue, Moratines does not hesitate to say that “it is the ability of Kazakhstan to attract everyone. And I believe it is an essential attribute of President Tokayev and Kazakhstan as people, as society.”