At the meeting Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Cyril awarded Nursultan Nazarbayev the Order of Sergey Radonezhsky of the first degree.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev thanked the Russian Orthodox Church for the high assessment of Kazakhstan’s policy aimed at strengthening of interfaith consent.
Over the years of independence we have always supported equality of relations and respect for all religions. In Kazakhstan, of course, the two main religions are Islam and Orthodox Christianity. These two pillars of spirituality form the basis for harmony in our society. Today we are witnessing conflicts in various parts of the world, including those on religious and ethnic grounds. Therefore, we should be proud of our island of stability and understanding. In addition, Kazakhstan regularly holds congresses of leaders of world and traditional religions,” he noted.
Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized the contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church in the development of friendly relations between the peoples of Russia and Kazakhstan.
Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Cyril, in turn, stressed the unique experience of Kazakhstan must serve as an example for other countries, especially against the backdrop of nowadays conflicts in different parts of the world.
You are recognized worldwide as an outstanding statesman. Under your leadership, in a short period of time Kazakhstan passed a long way of development. Being a multi-ethnic state, your country serves as an example of peaceful interaction of people belonging to different ethnic groups and religions,” he said.
