In Astana on July 1, 2010, a high-level OSCE conference on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination was held
The conference was attended by experts, senior government officials, politicians and public figures from 56 OSCE participating States and authoritative international organizations. The purpose of the conference was to promote the implementation of relevant commitments and values within the OSCE.
The conference was opened by the Secretary of State of Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, and the head of state Nursultan Nazarbayev made a report.
Issues of tolerance and non-discrimination, combating anti-Semitism and racism, the role of legislative and law enforcement bodies, the education system, the media, etc. were discussed at the event.
Experts from the OSCE member-states also exchanged experience in creating mechanisms for inter-ethnic and inter-confessional dialogue on tolerance and the protection of human rights.
Speaking at the conference, the chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations of Azerbaijan, Idayat Orujev, speaking about the situation in this sphere in Azerbaijan, spoke about the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia and the presence of more than 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons. The UN Security Council adopted 4 resolutions on unconditional liberation of Azerbaijani lands, which are ignored by the Armenian side.
Idayat Orujev said: “Azerbaijan is making efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Armenia in the occupied Azerbaijani lands destroyed all historical, religious, material and cultural monuments.
At this representative conference, we once again heard the lies and slander of Armenians, and once again we were convinced that Armenia is not interested in solving the problem," Orujev said.
Representative of the UN on the Alliance of Civilizations Jorge Sampaio, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mevlut Chavushoglu, High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE Knut Vollebaek, OSCE representatives - Andrew Baker, Mario Maura, Adil Ahmedov, State Minister of Turkey Mehmet Aydin and others expressed their attitude to the issues put forward at the conference.
Translated by Raushan MAKHMETZHANOVA