Kassym-Jomart Tokayev meets with Pope Francis in Vatican
At the invitation of the Pope, the Head of State made his first official visit to the Holy See. At the beginning of the audience, the Kazakh leader expressed gratitude to the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church for his efforts for the development of humanity around the world, El.kz reports citing Akorda.
Your prayers for peace have instilled faith and new hope in the hearts and minds not only of thousands of Catholics, but also of many of our compatriots of other religions.
Today, multi-ethnic and multi-confessional Kazakhstan, historically located at the crossroads of civilizations, has become home to the largest Catholic community in Central Asia, the President of Kazakhstan said.
Photo: Akorda
As Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted, followers of all faiths make a great contribution to building a Just Kazakhstan.
"We have managed to form our own model of peace and national dialogue based on the principle of 'unity in diversity'. In our country, people of different religions can pray in their temples. The protection of the right to freedom of religion is an integral part of my political course," the leader of Kazakhstan emphasized.
Recalling Pope Francis' traditional message "To the City and the World", Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed full solidarity with his words that "Peace is first and foremost a gift from God ... But it's also a big responsibility on all of us."
"Fully sharing your aspirations, I am convinced that we, despite all our differences, must unite to promote the ideas of peace, constant dialogue between cultures and religions, and development for the benefit of people of all faiths. There is still time for the expression of goodwill, there is still space for negotiations, there is still an opportunity for the manifestation of wisdom," the Head of State said.
In the context of bilateral relations, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan values its long-standing partnership with the Holy See, which is based on sincere friendship, harmony and mutual respect In addition, an active political dialogue is underway, consistent work is being carried out to expand the legal framework. The President of Kazakhstan expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for his active efforts aimed at ending conflicts and disagreements in the world.
Indeed, the current geopolitical turbulence is undermining the entire global security architecture, causing enormous human suffering and economic hardship. Kazakhstan, as a responsible State, makes a significant contribution to the maintenance of global peace and security. We participate in UN peacekeeping missions in various hot spots of the world," the Head of our state said.
In turn, the pontiff thanked Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for his contribution to ensuring peace and harmony. At the end of the audience, the Head of State thanked the Pope for the informative conversation and confirmed Kazakhstan's intention to continue to cooperate with the Holy See in promoting the ideas of tolerance, harmony and brotherhood.
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