The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev awarded, on Wednesday, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Prof. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Astana International Award - one of the most prestigious awards in the Central Asia. This award reflects the Grand Imam’s outstanding contributions in the field of interfaith dialogue and spreading the culture of fraternity and world peace. Al-Tayeb received the Award during the inauguration of the Seventh Congress of Religious Leaders entitled: "The Role of Religious Leaders in the Spiritual and Social Development of Humanity in Post-Covid-19 Period", in the presence of a number of political and religious leaders around the world.
On his part, the Kazakh president expressed his great happiness to reward the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar the Astana International Award in recognition of his efforts in interfaith dialogue and promoting the culture of fraternity and tolerance among different cultures and ethnicities. He also pointed out that his eminence is the greatest and the most inspiring Islamic figure as to humanitarian issues, and that his presence in Kazakhstan is appreciated by everyone, noting that the Kazakh people highly respect and appreciate the efforts exerted by the Grand Imam in the field of peace and interfaith dialogue.