The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, who is on an official visit to Italy and the Vatican, met with Pope Francis. This was reported by the press service of the head of the Kyrgyz Republic.
During the meeting, the Kyrgyz leader expressed his sincere gratitude to the Head of the Holy See for his unwavering dedication to promoting the high principles and ideals of peace, justice and mutual understanding among peoples and religions.
He highlighted the great personal contribution of Pope Francis to resolving conflicts and restoring justice in various parts of the world.
Japarov stressed that Kyrgyzstan is a secular multinational state, in which representatives of dozens of ethnic groups live in peace and harmony. He added that the republic guarantees freedom of religion and does not interfere with the practice of worship, highlighting interreligious harmony and equality of all religious communities, which are an integral part of Kyrgyz society and play an important role in its development.
“One of the country’s key traditional values has always been tolerance and respect for cultural diversity. “Spiritual and moral principles throughout history have played an important role in the development of the Kyrgyz state.” – said the head of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In turn, Pope Francis highly valued Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to support a multinational and multireligious society, pointing out the importance of continuing to work to preserve these values.
At the end of the conversation, Sadyr Japarov invited Pope Francis to visit Kyrgyzstan at any time convenient for him.
