The conference on “President Ilham Aliyev's policy: Intercultural and Interfaith Harmony” was organized by the Ministry of Culture, the State Committee on Religious Associations (SCRA) and the Caucasus Muslims Board on 18 December.

The government officials, leaders of religious confessions in our country, figures of science, culture and art, as well as public figures were attended at the event, moderated by ADA Vice-Chancellor Fariz Ismailzade.

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh said that the last month, the state of Azerbaijan signed an exemplary first, providing a global discussion of religious, political and scientific community. The II Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders, initiated by President Ilham Aliyev, has once again confirmed the status of Azerbaijan as a center of world cultural and spiritual values. This global-scale summit with the participation of nearly 500 well-known religious, state and public figures is embedded in the pages of history of interfaith cooperation as an indication of Azerbaijan's leading role in the platform of interreligious dialogue and cooperation.

Vice-president of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Isa Habibbayli noted that as a result of successful policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev, various forms of intercultural and interreligious dialogue are supported at the state level and our country is considered as one of the main centers of this dialogue.

Minister of Culture, Abulfas Garayev said that this year was a successful year for us and our capital hosted four important events. The World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, the 43rd Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Second Summit of World Religious Leaders in Baku show the atmosphere of tolerance in our country.

Commenting intercultural and interreligious harmony is one of the most important challenges of modern world, Chairman of SCRA Mubariz Gurbanli said that we can see the root of today's events in some part of history. Looking at the events and problems of the three centuries, the Chairman of the Committee stressed the importance of intercivilization, interfaith and intercultural dialogue in solving these problems.

According to the Chairman of the Committee, Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to come up with the idea of ​​intercultural and interfaith dialogue. Everyone recognizes and accepts our country as a center and supporter of peace and dialogue.

Speaking at the conference, Alexander Ishein, Archbishop of the Baku and Azerbaijan Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, Chairman of the Mountain Jews Community in Azerbaijan, Milikh Yevdayev, Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan, Vladimir Fekete and Chairman of the Alban-Udi Christian Community in Azerbaijan, Robert Mobili talked about the dynamics of development of religious relations under the leadership of President İlham Aliyev, further development of tolerant and multicultural traditions inherent in the Azerbaijani society, state support for religious confessions, contribution of our country to the development of relations between different cultures and religions.