Interfax's Interview

 The world community has been increasingly focusing on the subject of a dialogue of civilizations, religions and cultures lately. What do you think is the reason for the trend?

The threat of a split of civilizations is one of the most dangerous global challenges. It is our common goal to avoid this threat and ensure a harmonious development of all peoples of this planet through concord between civilizations and interaction between various cultures and religions.

 However, this noble goal should by no means suggest imposing any single cultural standard and developmental model. The guarantee of peaceful co-existence at the current time consists in all cultural and religious traditions being fully opened. 

 What role should the Alliance of Civilizations, having its first forum in Madrid on January 15-16, play in this process?

 In the context of the current system of international relations the initiative put forward by Spain in the autumn of 2004 and supported by Turkey in the summer 2005 of establishing an Alliance of Civilizations looks quite topical and necessary. It was recorded as a joint initiative in the final document of the New York summit of world leaders in September 2005 and supported in the resolution of the 60th U.N. General Assembly session Global Agenda for Dialogue Between Civilizations.

 The main goal of the Alliance of Civilizations is to consolidate the efforts of states and the public in order to overcome the separation and alienation of cultures and spur on civilizing pilot projects at various levels.
 
 What are the tasks facing the upcoming forum?

The forum should set a correct and constructive course in the fulfillment of this initiative at global, regional and other levels. Delegations from over 80 states will attend the forum, among them heads of state, ministers, heads of leading international organizations, renowned statesmen, public figures, journalists, clerics and businessmen.

How do you see the role of Russia in the dialogue between civilizations and the emerging Alliance of Civilizations?

The strengthening of accord between civilizations is a Russian foreign policy priority. Hence we have supported the initiative of establishing the Alliance of Civilizations from the very start, regarding it as a weighty contribution to the cause of achieving greater understanding between peoples, and joined its Group of Friends.

 Russia is ready to contribute heavily to the process of promoting the dialogue of civilizations as a whole and establishing the Alliance of Civilizations in particular. Lying at the junction of Europe and Asia and being a natural bridge between civilizations this country has accumulated an experience of many centuries of harmonious interaction between cultures and religions.
 
 What role will the mass media play in the establishment and operation of the Alliance of Civilizations?

The fundamental documents of the Alliance of Civilizations define the priorities of its practical operations which amount to the implementation of projects in four spheres, including the mass media. The upcoming forum is expected to mull over the effective involvement of the mass media in the dialogue between civilizations and take the first steps to implementing the proposal of the high representative of the U.N. Secretary General for the Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio on organizing the systematic collection and dissemination of information on the positive experience of contacts between cultures and launching a mechanism of rapid media response.

The fact that three out of the eight working sessions scheduled at the Madrid forum are directly related to "the fourth power" indicates that a weighty role in reaching the targets and objectives of the Alliance of Civilizations belongs to the mass media.
 
 What do you expect of the upcoming forum?

Russia will make every effort for the Alliance of Civilizations to become an arena for a dialogue of equals, for sharing positive experience and seeking effective solutions. We are convinced that as a new international institution is being established the objectives and principles of the United Nations should be strictly followed guaranteeing the universality and transparency of the process, to avoid politicking and everything that provokes divisions in the international community and damaging relations between civilizations overcome. We expect that the forum will lay the foundations of such a broad and multi-format notion of the future Alliance of Civilizations. In this context we hope that the participation of several religious leaders in the Madrid forum will become a true contribution to achieving the set objectives.

We expect that the idea of establishing a special arena under the U.N. auspices, a kind of a consultative council of religions for exchanging opinions between representatives of the key world religions expressed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the 62nd U.N. General Assembly session will be further discussed.
 
 

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