Nazarbayev invited Pope Benedict XVI to religious summit in Astana

Nazarbayev invited Pope Benedict XVI to Astana for the 4th Summit of the leaders of world and traditional religions to be held in Kazakhstan's capital on May 30, Tengrinews.kz reports citing press-service of Kazakhstan Senate. "An official invitation of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to Pope Benedict XVI to take part in the work of the 4th Summit of the leaders of world and traditional religions on May 30-31 in Astana was presented by the President's special envoy, senator Gani Kassymov in Vatican," the Senate's press-service stated. According to the Senate, Gani Kassymov presented an official invitation of the Senate chairman Kairat Mami to the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, state secretary of Vatican Tarcisio Bertone and the founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio Andrea Riccardi. "The representatives of the Roman Catholic church stressed the importance of the initiative of President Nursultan Nazarbayev of calling the Summit of spiritual leaders and Kazakhstan's role in promotion of the global dialog of cultures and religions," the press-service stressed. Representatives of the Roman Catholic church have already confirmed their readiness to participate in the spiritual forum in Astana at the highest level. Earlier special envoy, senator Oralbai Abdykarimov presented an invitation of the Senate speaker and of the head of the secretariat of the Summit of the leaders of world and traditional religions Kairat Mami to His Holiness Karekin II Surpreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians in Yerevan inviting him to to attend the 4th Summit.