According to the Foreign Ministry's Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy Siti Nugraha Mauludiah, the fifth iteration of the bilateral interfaith dialogue was organized in Serbia's capital Belgrade from November 11–14, 2024.
"Religious tolerance is believed to be a foundation for developing harmonious co-existence to achieve a safe and prosperous society," Mauludiah, who headed the Indonesian delegation at the dialogue, said in a written statement issued on Friday.
Realizing interfaith harmony is also consistent with President Prabowo Subianto's Asta Cita (Eight Missions), he added.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Ambassador to Serbia, Mochammad Chandra Widya Yudha, said that the dialogue will help Indonesia and Serbia seek collaborative solutions to current challenges faced by the two nations.
"Not only in the religious discourse but also in social cohesion and respect to diversity, which, in the end, will contribute to global peace and stability," he added.
Indonesian speakers who took part in the agenda included the Religious Affairs Ministry's Religious Harmony Center head, Muhammad Adib Abdushomad; deputy secretary general of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), Safira Machrusah; and representatives of religious universities in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the speakers from Serbia included the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, and representatives of religious organizations and universities in Serbia.
During the dialogue, Indonesian and Serbian representatives acknowledged the need to strengthen religious tolerance and cultural identity resilience and promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue.
They also emphasized that social tolerance should arise from the collective will of the government, the society, and its individuals.
The assembly agreed to release a joint statement on interfaith relations, including establishing an exchange mechanism for students to deepen interfaith dialogue, religious education, and religious culture.
They also agreed that the next iteration of the Indonesian-Serbian interfaith dialogue will take place in Jakarta in 2026.
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Translator: Yashinta Difa P, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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