World dignitaries open int`l conference on religion

Tehran, Oct 13, IRNA - World dignitaries opened international conference on 'Religion in Modern World' in Tehran on Monday.

The two-day conference will address the issue of how religious and
political leaders can cooperate to promote peace by protecting human
rights, moral and religious values, diversity and coexistence in
pluralistic, modern societies.

Former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, former Norwegian prime
minister Bondevick, former Italian prime minister Romano Prodi, former
French prime minister Lionel Jospin, former Swiss president Joseph
Deiss, former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio, former Irish
president Mary Robinson, former Sri Lankan president Chandrika
Kumaratunga and former UNESCO director general Federico Mayor as well
as several other scholars are attending the two-day confab.

Former president Mohammad Khatami addressed the inaugural session of
the conference this morning.

Sampaio, UN high representative for Alliance of Civilizations, will
also address the conference organized by Khatami.