Angel Moratinos: Baku Forum Begins at Right Time

Baku / 02.05.19 / Turan: Head of the Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos during the press conference in Baku stressed the importance of holding the Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Azerbaijan.

"Sri Lanka has always been an open country where different religions and cultures existed, and suddenly there was such a tragedy," said Moratinos, I mean the recent series of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of people.

The manifestations of hatred have always existed; it gives rise to the desire to destroy opponents. Therefore, it is especially important to develop a clear strategy for intercultural dialogue, he said.

Moratinos called a "simplified" idea that the existing problems can be solved by military, financial or political means - one needs to apply a socio-cultural approach and get to the roots of these problems. "Until we understand what the worldview of our neighbors is, how these or other problems have arisen, what has led to this situation and what the consequences may be, it will be impossible to find any long-term solution," Moratinos stressed.

He cited the example of the historic joint declaration of Pope Francis and the Supreme Imam Al-Azhar, which proclaims "fraternity, mutual understanding and intention to build the future, overcoming past differences". "And it's not just about Islam and the Catholic Church. They want to go further and invite other religions to join them in promoting interfaith dialogue," he said.

Moratinos believes that the Baku Forum, which is being held with UN support, will make a significant contribution to this process: "The forum will send an important message to the international community: we can live together, we can treat each other with respect, and we must learn to understand different cultures and religions ". -02D-