In the first of a series of meetings to build networks with interreligious, academic and civil society organizations working in Europe, the Vienna-based International Dialogue Centre on 25 May 2016 welcomed a delegation of Hungarian policy makers, religious leaders, and representatives of civil society and media organizations to its headquarters in the historic centre of the Austrian capital.

The meeting was organized at the initiative of His Excellency Mohammed Al-Matrafi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Hungary, and with the cooperation of the missions of KAICIID’s other Council of Parties member states, Austria, Spain and the Holy See. H.E. Ambassador Scheide, Ambassador of Austria to Hungary, and Ambassador Jorrin, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Hungary, attended the meeting. The Founding Observer of the Centre, the Holy See, was represented by Father Michael Weninger, member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Also present at the meeting were Ambassador Teresa Indjein, Director General of the Cultural Section at the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria, and Mr. Jose Maria Valdemoro, representing the Embassy of Spain to Austria. KAICIID’s Board of Directors, a multireligious body of religious leaders, was represented by Dr. Mohammad Sammak from Lebanon, and His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel of France.

The delegation from Hungary included representatives from the Unit for Interreligious Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the office of the Deputy Minister of State for Churches, leaders of the Muslim community in Hungary, as well as Catholic and Evangelical communities of Hungarians in Austria, and representatives from the Central European University, Corvinus University, and Eötvös Loránd University, as well as Hungarian media representatives.

The Hungarian delegation was welcomed to the Centre by representatives of the Council of Parties, who noted the Centre’s eagerness to cooperate with actors in Europe to promote interreligious dialogue and social cohesion.

Following a brief introduction to the work of the Centre by Director General Fahad Abualnasr, Deputy Secretary General for External Relations Alvaro Albacete, and Director of Communications Peter Kaiser, the delegation was addressed by members of the multi-religious KAICIID Board of Directors, Dr. Mohammad Sammak and Metropolitan Emmanuel.

Dr. Sammak provided the gathering an overview of the historical tradition of coexistence between Christian and Muslim communities, particularly in the Middle East, and described KAICIID’s ongoing efforts to restore this balance.

His Eminence Metropolitan Emmanuel spoke of the importance of interreligious cooperation, and of interreligious dialogue in our changing world.

Dr. László Gonda, Head of Unit for Interreligious Diplomacy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade provided a brief overview of interreligious dialogue on Hungary, and the government’s efforts to foster dialogue between religious communities.

The meeting concluded with a lively discussion among the participants. Several members of the delegation expressed their interest in cooperating with the Centre on its programmes, in particular those relating to youth, social media and education.