Nur-Sultan prepares for 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

Preparations for one of the major international events of the year are in full swing in Nur-Sultan. The 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions under the chairmanship by the President of Kazakhstan will take place here in mid-September. Nearly 130 international delegations from 60 countries are expected to attend the event. One of the anticipated guests is Pope Francis. The key topic of the event is “The role of leaders of world and traditional religions in the spiritual and social development of mankind in the post-pandemic period.” The meetings will be held in the form of four breakout sessions. Participants will discuss several challenging issues, including education, religious awareness, raising spiritual and moral values, the role of women and their social status, as well as the fight against radical manifestations – extremism and terrorism.

“As the influence of the Congress is growing, the number of participants is increasing. It speaks of the authority of our country. Kazakhstan was entrusted to hold such events. We, indeed, have the right to hold the congress. Historically, Kazakhstan has always been an intersection of religions. The state has numerous patriarchs, supreme muftis and church leaders from different countries. We have changed a lot regarding the quality of the composition,” said Bulat Sarsenbayev, Chair of Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue.

The event has increased attention of world media outlets, according to the organizers.  Such giants as Euronews, CNN and Al Jazeera are keen to cover the congress.