It
is not the first time that Jewish representatives come to Kazakhstan for a
formal visit. In July 2002 in the framework of meeting of Israeli and Kazakhstani
religious leaders (chief rabbi of Kazakhstan Bakshi Doron and chief mufti
of Kazakhstan Absattar Derbisali) the dialog between Jews and Moslems was
initiated. This important initiative was continued by Jewish spiritual leaders
from 17 countries of Europe and Asia who gathered in October 2002 in Almaty
for a Meeting of Rabbies within EAJC. In conclusion they met with the President
of Kazakhstan Nusrsultan Nazarbayev. That is why when the leaders of American
Jewish communities came to Kazakhstan to participate in the International
Conference on Peace and Accord, it was treated as one more step of Jews and
Moslems towards each other.
Participants
of the Conference were the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the
President of Kyrgyzstan Askar Akayev, the President of Tajikistan Imamali
Rahmonov, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan,
and Turkey, representatives of US Presidents' Conference, members of General
Council of EAJC (leaders of Jewish communities of Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine,
Australia, Byelorussia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, New Zealand,
Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Armenia), and Moslem spiritual
leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
"This Conference is of big importance for the planet.
I believe, during it there appeared an idea that countries, nations, and religions
have to negotiate and listen to each other", said Nursultan Nazarbayev,
the President of Kazakhstan.
Moslem spiritual leaders of Central Asia and representatives of
Jewish communities united by aversion to the evil expressed their readiness
to assist in averting enmity between the two great religions.
"We will be able to defeat the enemy only after we consolidate
neighborly relations between all the nations belonging to antiterrorist coalition
in spite of their religion", said the President of EAJC Alexander
Mashkevitch.
At the end of the Conference Nursultan Nazarbayev met with Jewish
leaders. America was represented by senator Rudy Boshwitz, Mortimer Zuckerman,
Malcolm Hoenlein, Avi Bekker, Andrew Baker, and others; Euroasian representatives
were Alexander Mashkevitch (Kazakhstan), Alexander Baron (Kazakhstan), Michail
Bezelyansky (Russia), Vyacheslav Kantor (Russia), Eugenie Chervonenko (Ukraine),
Michail Chlenov (Russia), Joseph Zissels (Ukraine), Jeremy Jones (Australia),
Daniel Turk (Japan), David Schwarz (New Zealand), and others. The participants
expressed their thanks to the President of Kazakhstan for his efforts to begin
a dialog between civilizations, and pointed out his personal contribution
to the Declaration "Toward Peace and Stability" approved in the
framework of the Conference.
"We wish the voices of participants of the Conference
on Peace and Accord were heard, and the young generation grew up on these
values. The world should be advanced to common consent in order to avoid deep
contradictions in our life", wished Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice-Chairman,
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
