The Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, has met the Chairman of the Nazarbayev Centre for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue, Mr. Bulat Sarsenbayev, with the aim of enhancing cooperation in the field of interfaith and intercultural dialogue and its role in addressing global challenges, including climate change.

During the meeting, the Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Nazarbayev Centre for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue in promoting dialogue, particularly the efforts that followed the recent meeting of the World and Traditional Religious Leaders Conference. He emphasized that Kazakhstan plays an important role in promoting a culture of dialogue and convergence while shedding light on the important role that religious leaders and relevant institutions can play in raising awareness about climate change. This is particularly relevant in light of the international challenges and the UAE's upcoming hosting of COP28 confernece at the end of this year.

For his part, the Chairman of the Nazarbayev Centre for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue praised the efforts of the Muslim Council of Elders under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, in seeking to unify the efforts of religious leaders in addressing global challenges, including climate issues, promoting peace, and spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence. Sarsenbayev also praised the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity which was signed in 2019 by His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders alongside His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, for the noble values it represents in terms of promoting dialogue and coexistence. 

At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed to enhance their cooperation through various efforts and initiatives that contribute to correcting misconceptions, supporting the values of coexistence, and benefiting from interfaith dialogue efforts in formulating an effective vision for the role of religions in addressing climate change. This would be based on the Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the Muslim Council of Elders and the Nazarbayev Centre for the Development of Interfaith and Intercivilizational Dialogue in November of last year.