Foreign Minister participates in meeting "Towards Peaceful and Inclusive Communities"

New York, Sep. 24 (BNA): The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is keen to continue and develop its long history as a multi-faith and multi-cultural community. This came during the speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the high-level meeting entitled "Towards Peaceful and Inclusive Communities: Role of Religious Leaders in Achieving SDG 16" and organized by the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Co-existence, on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that the Kingdom of Bahrain prioritizes the importance of maintaining comprehensive, peaceful and diverse societies with a variety of cultures and religions living together in peace. The Kingdom of Bahrain has embodied that aspect for centuries, which acts as a major reason for its ability to overcome challenges. The Minister of Foreign Affairs hailed the pioneering initiatives of His Majesty the King to establish coexistence and tolerance among all, which includes the launch of the Bahrain Declaration in Los Angeles in September 2017, the establishment of the King Hamad Center for Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence in March 2018, and the establishment of the King Hamad Chair for peaceful coexistence at La Sapienza University of Rome. The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain guarantees religious freedom and that there is no place for religious violence and incitement to hatred and sectarianism in Bahraini society. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also called for the necessity to increase efforts to combat extremism and religious intolerance, as the religious harmony and coexistence that the Middle East is known for is seriously being threatened. The is due to the extremist ideology and ignorance that led to the emergence of extremist groups spreading the message of hatred and glorifying conflict, and that these extremist groups were sometimes influenced by certain states or political instability. The Minister of Foreign Affairs concluded by stressing the importance of the role of religious figures in combating extremism and establishing useful teachings and mutual respect between people of different faiths.