King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center formalizes download to Lisbon – Observador
Representatives of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue formalized this Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lisbon, the transfer of the organization’s headquarters to Portugal.
“What we bring is something that can be unique: Religion can be part of the solution, not the cause of the problem and that is really important. Another important thing we want to do is build a bridge and cross the bridge to the other side, and if this initiative starts from the holy city of Mecca and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this could be very important for the whole world,” said Faisal Bin Muaammar, secretary general of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) after formalizing the agreement.
The signing ceremony took place this Friday at Palácio das Necessidades, in Lisbon, and foresees the Transfer of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue from Austria’s capital to Portugal.
KAICIID is an intergovernmental organization that, through its two governing structures – a Council of Parties, which brings together Austria, Spain, Saudi Arabia and the Holy See as an observer, and a Board of Directors, which brings together religious leaders – and aims to promote interreligious dialogue to prevent and resolve conflicts.
Yemeni Elham was also appointed as from 1 November to act as interim deputy general secretary of the Center, with the aim of ensuring the relocation process and the continuation of its activities.
The Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, said at the agreement signing ceremony that Portugal is “proud” in maintaining the tradition of receiving in an environment of “good cooperation” and “security” associations such as the King Abdullah International Center Bin Abdulaziz for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue.
Last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted that the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue “aims at interreligious and intercultural dialogue, with the aim of promoting dialogue and understanding between different religions and cultures, to encourage respect for diversity and to pursue justice and peace among nations and peoples, as well as to combat the misuse of religion as a justification for violence and persecution”.