On 5 December 2018 the State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic holds a final conference in Bishkek on “Interfaith Dialogue in Kyrgyzstan” devoted to the establishment of interfaith harmony and tolerance among representatives of various religious organizations in Kyrgyzstan.
The aim of the conference is to discuss topical issues in the religious sphere, preserve stability in society, strengthen state and interfaith harmony, as well as improve the literacy of religious leaders and civil society in the process of building a platform for interfaith dialogue.
“We must preserve democratic principles on religious issues in the country. Religion must remain a free choice for every citizen. There are destructive forces that are trying to rock the religious situation in the country. We must not allow these forces to affect interfaith peace. Therefore, we will create an interfaith council in Kyrgyzstan to strengthen work on building dialogue and developing relations between representatives of different faiths”, said Zaiyrbek Ergeshov, Director of the State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.
This event is part of the implementation of the Concept Paper on State Policy in the Sphere of Religion of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2014-2020 and is aimed at developing approaches to strengthening interfaith dialogue, principles of respect for various views and beliefs, human rights and freedoms, tolerance and liberal attitude towards religion, prevention of radicalism and extremism.
The event is attended by the management and staff of the SCRA KR, representatives of state bodies and religious communities of the Kyrgyz Republic, experts. The State Commission for Religious Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic holds the conference in partnership with the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) in the Kyrgyz Republic and NGO “AVEP”. The conference is the outcome of a series of forums held from June to October 2018 across the country.