**In the Name of the Almighty Creator!**

**Vice President of the Republic of Kazakhstan,**
**His Excellency Mr. Yerlan Karin!**

**Distinguished members of the Secretariat of the Astana Congresses!**

The Astana Congresses, the traditional summit of the world's most influential religious leaders, have affirmed their international significance for more than two decades. Their exceptional importance lies in the fact that they serve as a permanent platform bringing together religious leaders and political and public figures. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the State of Kazakhstan and its wise political leadership for bringing to life, and ensuring the continuity of, an idea of such universal significance. Under the leadership of His Excellency Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, the country is confidently advancing along the path of progress and spiritual development. We wish the new parliament of the State of Kazakhstan, the Kurultai, every success in its work for the benefit of Kazakh statehood.
I extend my sincere greetings and blessings to His Excellency Mr. Yerlan Karin, Vice President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the new Head of the Secretariat of the Astana Congresses. I am confident that the State of Kazakhstan will continue to play an active role in advancing dialogue among religions and civilizations. On this occasion, I would also like to thank Mr. Maulen Ashimbayev, who chaired the Secretariat of the Astana Congresses for many years, for his valuable efforts.
Distinguished participants! The success of the VIII Astana Congress and the significance of the Peace Declaration we adopted inspire us to undertake new endeavours. We are confident that the IX Congress, to be held in 2028, will place the most pressing themes and objectives for humanity on its agenda and will adopt valuable decisions. In this regard, today's meeting of the Congress Secretariat is of great importance.
At a time when confrontations and wars show no sign of abating, a great responsibility rests upon representatives of all segments of society, including religious leaders. We must step up our efforts to foster a climate of human fraternity and to counter calls to hatred. We must draw on the full force and potential of international law to put an end to violence against innocent people in various parts of the world. The choice of restoring trust as the central theme of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly reflects precisely the need to enhance the effectiveness of this Organization.
On the item on today's agenda concerning the role of religions in combating climate change, I would like to note that we set out our position on this important issue in the Baku Declaration, the Final Document adopted by the Summit of Religious Leaders held within the framework of the COP29 Baku Climate Summit. As for the ever-deeper penetration of artificial intelligence into our lives in this era of rapid digital development, we must acknowledge that the boundless spread of these innovations into all spheres of life undoubtedly brings new problems as well as new opportunities. As I stated at last year's Astana Congress, what matters most is upholding moral and ethical boundaries and preventing the harmful consequences that are highly likely to arise. Above all, artificial intelligence, which has no soul, must not replace human beings in worship. In this regard, I highly appreciate the presentation at our meeting of the Code of Ethics for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Religious Sphere. As Almighty Allah commands us in our Holy Book, the Holy Quran: **"Do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order"** (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:56).
Once again, I express my deep gratitude and best wishes to the State of Kazakhstan, its leadership and all those responsible for the consistently high level of organisation of the meetings of the Secretariat of the Astana Congresses and for their generous hospitality. May the Almighty Creator grant lasting peace and tranquillity to our countries and protect the world! Amen!