7 March 2026. Astana. A meeting took place at the House of Ministries between the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ermek Bedelbayevich Kosherbayev.
Also participating in the meeting was the dean of the parishes of the capital, Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev).
Greeting the head of the Republic’s foreign policy department, the archpastor thanked him for the opportunity, within the framework of the official meeting, to discuss a number of current issues of mutual interest.
Metropolitan Alexander spoke to the minister about the life of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, the implementation of educational, cultural, youth and social projects, and informed him about events planned within the framework of the celebration in 2026 of historically and spiritually significant dates – the 80th anniversary of the return of the St Nicholas Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata to the Orthodox Church and the 25th anniversary of the uncovering of the relics of the Venerable Martyrs Seraphim and Theognostus of Alma-Ata.
The hierarch shared his impressions of the conversation with the Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.G. Balaeva, which had taken place the previous day, and also informed E.B. Kosherbayev about his meetings with the Ambassador of Russia A.N. Borodavkin, the Consul General of the Republic of Belarus in Alma-Ata D.V. Meleshkin and the Ambassador of the Vatican Archbishop George Panamthundil.
During the conversation the fruitful cooperation of the Metropolitan District with the diplomatic corps of Kazakhstan was noted. The Minister of Foreign Affairs gave a positive assessment of the activity of the church leadership aimed at affirming spiritual and moral values and strengthening interreligious peace in the country.
The interlocutors discussed the February meeting of the chairman of the Department for External Church Relations, Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Russia D.A. Abaev, during which the hierarch was presented with a badge and certificate of Ambassador of Goodwill of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The participants in the meeting emphasized that the forum, which since 2003 has regularly gathered in the capital of Kazakhstan prominent religious, political and public figures from all over the world, has proven itself to be a unique platform for the development of interconfessional and interethnic dialogue. According to the shared opinion, the activity of the forum, constructively developing relations between leaders and prominent representatives of different cultures and confessions, serves the cohesion of society on the basis of moral and spiritual values, which becomes a worthy response to the crises, challenges and destructive phenomena of modernity.
A separate topic of the conversation was the rapidly developing international conflict in the Middle East. Ermek Bedelbayevich emphasized that Kazakhstan, which during the years of independence has shown itself to be a peace-loving and open state, is ready, if requested, to provide a platform for negotiations for the opposing sides. “Our country already has such experience, which ultimately led to positive results,” said the head of the Republic’s Foreign Ministry. The interlocutors agreed that today, in an era of intensifying conflicts and contradictions, the multiplication of hatred and hostility, any possible assistance in building a stable, just and democratic world order is one of the main tasks facing Kazakhstan.
During the conversation the upcoming national referendum on the adoption of a new Constitution was also discussed.
The interlocutors confirmed the importance of further cooperation between state bodies and religious associations in order to promote interreligious dialogue and strengthen peace and harmony in the country.
At the conclusion of the meeting, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, the sides exchanged wishes for success in good works and initiatives.
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