POLITICS
ASEM high-level conference on intercultural and inter-religious dialogue underway in St. Petersburg
Baku, July 4 (AZERTAC). The high-level conference on inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue is underway in Saint Petersburg, Russia, as part of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Supported by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two-day conference is organized by the Ministry of Culture.
The event is attended by heads of ASEM member states’ relevant ministries and departments, religious, cultural and art figures, and scholars.
Guided by the aspiration to make contribution to the cause of protection and mutual enrichment of various cultures and confessions, the high-level conference is held in the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) titled “Harmony between civilizations as a prerequisite for sustainable development”. The theme reflects the goal of the conference to strengthen mutual trust, establish a constructive dialogue and cooperation between representatives of various social, cultural and religious traditions.
The conference was addressed by deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation Igor Margulov, Special Representative of the Russian President for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvidkoy, as well as representatives of the Christian, Islamic and Jewish confessions.
Speaking at the conference, Polad Bulbuloglu, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the Russian Federation, chairman of the CIS Interstate Fund for Humanitarian Cooperation, highlighted the fund’s history and activities. He said the Fund was engaged in humanitarian projects to promote mutual trust, tolerance and serve the development of cultural ties.
Polad Bulbuloglu also spoke of the inter-cultural and inter-religious situation in Azerbaijan, saying representatives of numerous faiths lived here in peace and co-existence. He said the Azerbaijani government was supporting religious communities in the country. He said that under President Ilham Aliyev’s instruction, the government had built an Orthodox Religious-Cultural Center and a synagogue in Baku to serve the religious communities.
ASEM unites 30 European and 21 Asian countries.