Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko expects the World Conference on Interreligious and Interethnic Dialogue to be held in Russia next year with the participation of heads of state and religious leaders, RIA Novosti reports.

“In the near future, we are to choose the place for holding the conference (in Russia), as well as to discuss its format and the participants. In many ways, the results of the conference will depend on its participants. We initially assumed that the conference would be attended by heads of state, leaders of world religions and parliamentarians. We hope that the Interparliamentary Union, in cooperation with the UN and its structures, will be able to hold it at a high level”, Matvienko said at a meeting with Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative of the UN Secretary General for the Alliance of Civilizations.

The speaker recalled that the idea and venue of the conference were approved by the UN resolution.

“We consider it advisable to host it in Russia on May 21, 2022, timed to coincide with the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development established by the UN General Assembly and at the end of the decade for the rapprochement of cultures proclaimed by UNESCO”, she said.

Source: RIA Novosti