The meeting of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan with Akim of the Aktobe region E.L. Tugzhanov

November 7, 2022. Aktobe. In the regional akimat, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Metropolitan of Astana and Kazakhstan Alexander met with Akim of Aktobe region Yeraly Lukpanovich Tugzhanov.

The meeting was attended by: from the side of the Orthodox Church - Bishop of Aktobe and Kyzylorda Ignatius, vicar of the Astana diocese Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian; on the part of the secular authorities - the deputy akim of the region B.O. Yeleusinova, head of the Department for Religious Affairs A.Zh. Turaliev, deputy head of the akim's apparatus, press secretary E.Kh. Baitanaev.

In his greeting, akim warmly thanked Metropolitan Alexander for his visit to the region and special attention to the life of Orthodox believers in the Aktobe region. Yeraly Lukpanovich noted that a constructive dialogue between the executive branch and the leading traditional confessions of the Republic - Islam of the Hanafi madhhab and Orthodox Christianity - was and remains an indispensable condition for maintaining interreligious peace and interethnic harmony in the field.

Metropolitan Alexander as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, introduced to his interlocutor Bishop Ignatius, administrator of the Aktobe diocese, and his vicar Bishop Claudian. The archpastor expressed hope for the further development of constructive relations between secular and ecclesiastical authorities in the region, which will serve the cause of strengthening brotherly love and mutual respect between representatives of different peoples and followers of different religions and will become a guarantee of preserving traditional spiritual and moral values in society.

During the conversation, the head of the region acquainted Metropolitan Alexander with the life of the region, noting the positive dynamics of the growth of economic indicators. E.L. Tugzhanov told the hierarch that since his appointment to the post of akim, he had already traveled on business trips to all districts of the region and took personal control of the problematic issues that most concern the population.

The head of the Metropolitan District informed the akim about the purposes of his visit to the Aktobe diocese, one of which is to bring for prayer worship of the faithful the great shrine of Orthodoxy - part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, one of the most revered saints in the world. Vladyka Metropolitan noted that this event in the church life of the region takes place as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkestan diocese. Vladyka Metropolitan emphasized that the President of Kazakhstan K.-Zh.K. Tokayev, who called the Kazakh Metropolitan District a worthy successor to the Turkestan diocese, leading active educational and social activities, contributing to the promotion of traditional spiritual and moral values, the progressive development of interethnic and interfaith dialogue.

The interlocutors highly appreciated the significant event in the life of the country, which took place on November 5 - the signing by the head of state K.-Zh.K. Tokayev of a number of important laws adopted as a result of the republican referendum held in June 2022 on amendments and additions to the Constitution of Kazakhstan. According to the general opinion, the years of independence were marked by the desire of Kazakhstanis to build a free society in which people of different nationalities and religious beliefs feel comfortable and confident. It was noted that one of the priorities of the internal policy of the state is to strengthen peace and harmony in the country, and the achievement of these noble goals is possible only through a firm commitment to the main provisions of the Basic Law of the Republic.

The conversation was about preparing the region for the extraordinary elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which will be held on November 20, 2022. Yeraly Lukpanovich informed Bishop Metropolitan that specially organized Call-centers function in city and district akimats, where all the necessary consultations are provided on the issues of checking the inclusion of citizens in the voter lists and clarifying the location of the centers of polling stations.

The parties discussed issues related to the interaction of the administration of the Aktobe region with the newly formed Aktobe diocese of the Metropolitan District in the framework of the implementation of joint cultural and educational projects.

At the end of the conversation, Akim of the Aktobe region and the Head of the Metropolitan District exchanged memorable gifts - books and publications and wished each other health and success in all good undertakings.

The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere.