Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan took part in the meeting of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill with the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.S. Ashimbayev

November 22, 2024. Moscow. In the Patriarchal residence in the Danilov Monastery, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' met with the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Maulen Sagatkhanovich Ashimbayev.

The meeting was attended by: Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

The DECR Secretary for Interreligious Relations, Priest Ilya Kashitsyn, participated on behalf of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The following took part on behalf of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Chairman of the Committee on International Relations, Defense and Security of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.I. Lukin, Secretary of the Committee on Agrarian Issues, Nature Management and Rural Development of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan O.A. Bulavkina, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation D.A. Abayev, Chief of Staff of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.A. Spotkay, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.D. Baimukanov, Head of the Department of International Cooperation and Protocol of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.Zh. Almashov, Head of the Press Service of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan D.S. Ramazanov.

Addressing the guests with words of greeting, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill noted the high level of relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the leadership of Kazakhstan and the country as a whole, the actively developing church life there, gratefully noting that the Kazakh state supports the good initiatives of the Church.

His Holiness also shared good memories of his visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2012.

Noting that it was a great honor for him and his colleagues to meet with His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, the Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan conveyed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church a heartfelt greeting from the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “He greatly appreciates what the Russian Orthodox Church does to promote interreligious dialogue, as well as to spread moral values and asked to convey his sincere words of gratitude for the activities that you are carrying out,” said M.S. Ashimbayev; he also emphasized the significant contribution of the Church to strengthening harmony and stability in the country.

In turn, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill asked to convey to the Head of the Kazakh state a greeting and words of deep respect and gratitude, noting, among other things, the position of the Orthodox Church in modern Kazakhstan.

Continuing the conversation, M.S. Ashimbayev noted the important role of Orthodoxy in the life of his country: "This role is outlined in our laws, which clearly state that Hanafi Islam and Orthodoxy are the pillars of the spiritual and cultural life of Kazakhstan. And state institutions and the country's leadership are creating all the necessary conditions for Orthodox citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan to feel comfortable and have every opportunity to satisfy their spiritual needs." He especially mentioned the great contribution of the head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, to the development of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, saying that there are currently over 300 Orthodox churches and other religious buildings in the country, 14 new facilities are being built in different regions, including plans to build a new Orthodox church in Astana. During the years of Metropolitan Alexander's service in Kazakhstan, new dioceses were opened, a theological seminary was created, a large-scale restoration of the Ascension Cathedral in Alma-Ata, a unique cultural heritage site, was carried out, and dozens of churches were built throughout the country.

The statesman particularly mentioned the recent bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. The bringing of the relic was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Astana diocese and the upcoming 15th anniversary of the approval of the canonical status of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. As M.S. Ashimbayev emphasized, this was a great holiday for Orthodox residents.

"On the part of the country's leadership, on the part of the Parliament and other state institutions, we will continue to do everything necessary to ensure that Orthodox Christians in Kazakhstan feel comfortable, that all issues are resolved on time and that there are no obstacles to the realization of the spiritual interests of Orthodox citizens of Kazakhstan," the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan assured.

Speaking about the great contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church to the promotion of interreligious dialogue, cooperation and interaction at the international level, the head of the Kazakh delegation emphasized: "Although the current geopolitical conflicts make the time very difficult, despite all the difficulties and trials, the Russian Orthodox Church is doing a lot to promote a culture of mutual understanding, a culture of dialogue in the world. And we highly appreciate this activity." M.S. Ashimbayev also noted that Kazakhstan, for its part, is actively working in this direction. In particular, since 2003, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions has been convened there every three years, and by now this forum has become a recognized effective platform for dialogue. The past seven congresses have discussed topics that are very important for modern society. Thus, at the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2022, such issues as the promotion of moral values in the world, counteraction to radical ideology and others were considered. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church invariably participate in these forums and in the work of the Secretariat of the Congress, and in 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' spoke at the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

“We warmly recall your speech at the Congress, where you raised fundamental issues for modern society,” said the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan. “That was twelve years ago, but your theses, the ideas that you voiced, are relevant today and perhaps are becoming even more relevant in the modern world in connection with the trends that we see today.”

On behalf of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, the head of the delegation conveyed to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' an invitation to take part in the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which will be held on September 17-18, 2025 in Astana, emphasizing that this is the first official invitation to the upcoming forum signed by the Head of the Kazakh state.

As M.S. Ashimbayev noted, against the backdrop of the painful transformation processes currently taking place in the world, “it is very important that the most influential spiritual authorities of the modern world gather together and appeal to humanity with a joint call for agreement, for the dissemination of moral values, raise many issues and show the way for how we all need to develop in the coming period.”

The theme of the upcoming forum is designated as “Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future,” said the Chairman of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged commemorative gifts.