His Holiness notes positive dynamics in Church-state cooperation in Uzbekistan

Speaking at the Bishops’ Council the Primate of the Russian Church said: “Positive dynamics can be observed in cooperation between the Church and the state in the Republic of Uzbekistan which I visited last autumn.

“Dialogue of the Diocese of Tashkent with state authorities is bringing results conducive to the formation and preservation of the climate of peace and mutual understanding in both national and religious spheres.”

His Holiness added that the Strategy of development of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021 was adopted last February. The maintenance of inter-ethnic and inter-religious accord is one of its priorities.

Patriarch Kirill continued to say, “An important sphere of Church-state cooperation is education of the youth in the spirit of solidarity and mutual respect. Church experts are involved who lecture at the institutions of higher education in Tashkent. The programme on the suppression of activities of sects and preachers of the pseudo-religious doctrines is being implemented. It was decided last October to make religious studies in the institutions of higher education a separate discipline.”

“I am convinced that this and other measures taken at the high level will contribute to the prevention of the pseudo-religious extremism and radicalism on the religious ground,” concluded His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

Source: mospat.ru