SPA RIYADH: The UN High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos has praised the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) for its contributions to promoting peace, through a series of initiatives and partnership programs with governments and other organizations.This came during a visit to KAICIID’s headquarter in Vienna, where he met with Secretary-General Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muaammar, and thanked him, the center and the Saudi government for their support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ plan for global conflict prevention and resolution.Moratinos cited the center’s efforts to fight extremism, promote coexistence and preach tolerance across the Arab world and beyond as a model example for facilitating inter-community cooperation, commending its opposition to religious rhetoric being subverted by extremists and terrorists for political ends.He noted the importance of platforms established by the center for dialogue between Christian and Muslim communities in the Middle East, Nigeria and Central Africa, and similar programs for Muslims and Buddhists in Myanmar, in restoring trust between fractured neighbors.He also praised the various training programs KAICIID has helped to set up in religious schools in hotspot regions of interreligious tension, building bridges of understanding and establishing principles of coexistence and common values.
