On October 6, 2026, a meeting of the Working Group of the XXIV Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held in Astana, the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The meeting was attended by the Secretary of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations for Interreligious Relations, Priest Ilia Kashitsyn.
During the meeting, the participants were informed about new appointments in the leadership structure of the Congress Secretariat. The draft documents prepared pursuant to the decisions of the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and the Astana Declaration of Peace (2025), previously agreed with communities, on climate change and various aspects of regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the religious sphere were reviewed. In addition, the organizers of the event presented the concept of a joint document of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Vatican with the participation of the Catholic Children's Hospital "Infant Jesus" in Rome — the Charter of the Rights of a Child with an Incurable Disease.
On October 7, the XXIV session of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions opened. It was opened by the new head of this organization, Vice-President of Kazakhstan Yerlan Karin. The event was attended by representatives of Christian denominations; Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Hindu, and Taoist religious communities from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel, Turkey, the Vatican, Great Britain, India, and Senegal.
The meeting of the Secretariat was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the DECR, Archpriest Igor Vyzhanov. He conveyed greetings to the audience on behalf of Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the DECR, and stressed the importance of the efforts of the Congress Secretariat in promoting the ideas of interreligious dialogue and protecting traditional spirituality and morality. Archimandrite Sergiy (Karamyshev), dean of the parishes of Astana, rector of the Assumption Cathedral, was also among the participants of the meeting.
After the announcement of the welcoming remarks, the above-mentioned conceptual documents were discussed and the date and venue of the next XXV anniversary meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2027 were agreed. At the end of the events in Kazakhstan, Vice President of the Republic Yerlan Karin gave a solemn reception, which was attended by representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church.