Vice Foreign Minister Participates in Tolerance Forum, Highlights Saudi Arabia's International Role in Promoting Dialogue, Tolerance, and Peaceful Coexistence
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji participated today in the “Tolerance Forum,” organized by the King Abdulaziz Center for Cultural Communication (KACCC) in Riyadh on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance.
In his address, the vice foreign minister commended KACCC for organizing the forum, which comes at a time when the world is witnessing major challenges that require strengthening the values of tolerance, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
He said, “Celebrating the International Day for Tolerance reflects the international community’s commitment to the values of dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence as a means to resolving conflicts,” noting that the international community recognized early on the negative repercussions of intolerance and hate speech on international peace and stability.
He added, "Although conflicts rooted in religious, ethnic, or national identities are local in nature and call for local solutions, the success of efforts to resolve them requires international support,” stressing the importance of continued efforts by the international community, particularly the United Nations and its specialized agencies, to promote dialogue and tolerance among religions and cultures as a fundamental means of preventing violence, countering hate speech, resolving conflicts, enhancing mutual understanding, and achieving sustainable peace.
The vice foreign minister reaffirmed the Kingdom's support for UN efforts to promote tolerance and dialogue to prevent and resolve conflicts through peaceful means. He highlighted the Kingdom’s regional and international contributions to combating terrorism, extremism, and hate speech, as well as its initiative, together with Austria, Spain, and the Holy See, to establish the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue.
In conclusion, the vice foreign minister praised KACCC's contributions to promoting dialogue and understanding among peoples and cultures, expressing his hope that this forum will be an additional step toward achieving shared goals in peace and development.
