Yerlan Karin, Vice-President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, met with Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See, and then took part in the opening of the Second Joint Colloquium, infohub.kz reports.
During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation within the framework of the Congress and the Colloquium, as well as the implementation of joint humanitarian initiatives. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad conveyed warm greetings from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to President of Kazakhstan Qasym-Jomart Toqaev, along with best wishes to the people of Kazakhstan.
Following the meeting, Yerlan Karin and Cardinal George Koovakad took part in the opening of the Second Joint Colloquium, dedicated to protecting the life, health and dignity of children with severe and incurable diseases. The event brought together representatives of government bodies, religious organizations, medical and academic institutions, and experts.
Speaking at the opening, Yerlan Karin emphasized that interreligious dialogue must deliver concrete humanitarian results. He also spoke about the large-scale political and socioeconomic reforms being carried out under the leadership of President Qasym-Jomart Toqaev. According to the Vice-President, improving the well-being of citizens is the main goal of the reforms, and protecting children, especially the most vulnerable, is one of the key priorities of state policy.
Participants discussed the draft Charter on the Rights of the Incurably Ill Child, promoted as a joint Kazakh-Vatican initiative. Yerlan Karin thanked the Dicastery and Bambino Gesù Hospital for their contribution to preparing the document and noted the hospital's cooperation with the University Medical Center corporate fund.
In conclusion, the Vice-President wished participants fruitful work and substantive discussions.