Baku (UNA) – Secretary-General of the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) Dr. Zuhair Al-Harthi explained that the praise of the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Ali Asadov, for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for the King Abdullah International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), and his emphasis that Saudi Arabia, under its leadership, represents political stability, an important economic weight, and a religious depth that consolidates tolerance and coexistence in the region, highlights the international vision of the leadership in the Kingdom and its major role in spreading peace in the world, promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence, rejecting violence, combating hate speech, and supporting all international initiatives that call for moderation and dialogue.
During his high-level meeting with the Secretary-General of KAICIID in Baku, the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan expressed his great appreciation for the continuous efforts of the Center in promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue around the world, stressing its importance and the role it plays in promoting mutual understanding among diverse societies, and that Azerbaijan will provide full support and facilitation to its initiatives in the region.
He pointed out Azerbaijan's agreement with KAICIID's strategies in building peace and dialogue, and his country's readiness to partner with the center in projects that enhance religious harmony and cultural understanding, and commitment to social and environmental priorities, and their alignment with global standards, welcoming joint cooperation with KAICIID in projects that address these issues.
The Prime Minister also stressed President Ilham Aliyev's support for the proposed expansion of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in the Caucasus, noting that this confirms the support of the leadership in Azerbaijan for the importance given to the Centre's work in the region.
For his part, KAICIID explained that Dr. Zuhair Al-Harthi met with the Azerbaijani Prime Minister during his participation in the opening of the World Summit of Leaders and Religious Icons in Baku, where the two sides discussed “joint opportunities for cooperation between the center and relevant Azerbaijani institutions. The Azerbaijani Prime Minister also praised the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for KAICIID, and stressed that Saudi Arabia, with its leadership, represents political stability, significant economic weight, and religious depth that establishes tolerance and coexistence in the region.”
The center pointed out in a statement that “the cooperation between (KAICID) and the Azerbaijani state is an ongoing and extended cooperation since the meeting of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Ilham Aliyev, and the Secretary-General of the Center, Dr. Zuhair Al-Harthi, on May 2024, XNUMX, in the capital, Baku, where the two sides stressed during the meeting the importance of joint cooperation in spreading and promoting the values of dialogue between followers of religions and cultures, and its impact on achieving peace and sustainable development for societies, combating hate speech and rejecting violence, in addition to discussing enhancing opportunities for cooperation between Azerbaijan on the one hand, and the (KAICID) Center on the other hand, through many programs and initiatives of the center in the Caucasus region,” explaining that the center has an important role in the Caucasus region: “through cooperation with the member of the Board of Directors of the Center, His Eminence Professor Shukrullah Pasha Zadeh, Sheikh of Islam in the Caucasus.”
Dr. Al-Harthi expressed his appreciation for: “The continuous support for KAICIID’s efforts on the international stage from: His Excellency the President of Azerbaijan, and the Prime Minister, and his emphasis that this contributes to helping the center spread more initiatives and programs that drive sustainable development in all societies, and provide opportunities for more dialogue between religious leaders and decision-makers for the good of humanity.”
In the context of the center’s efforts to support environmental work on the international scene, the statement explained that: “In cooperation between KAICIID and the United Nations Environment Program, work has been done to implement multiple initiatives to support environmental education through digital media, as the two parties signed a donor agreement on December 16, 2020, in addition to two additional agreements to develop joint e-learning courses, each of which includes an e-learning module within the course (Engaging Religious Actors to Support the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals), and an e-learning course developed by KAICIID in 2021 consisting of eight modules entitled (Religion, Environment and Climate Change), in addition to a series of eight thematic webinars hosted in cooperation with the Faith for Earth Initiative of the United Nations Environment Program, with discussions continuing with the United Nations Environment Program, with the aim of expanding the scope of cooperation between KAICIID and the United Nations in this regard.”
The statement concluded with Secretary-General Dr. Zuhair Al-Harthi stressing the center’s keenness to achieve: “more cooperation with the Azerbaijani side in various topics related to spreading dialogue, achieving sustainable development, and promoting community peace, given the great importance of Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus region on the international scene.”
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