Smith attends interfaith dialogue

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has attended the ministerial meeting on interfaith
dialogue in New York, the first time Australia has participated as a full member.
Mr Smith said the event, the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and
Co-operation for Peace, was conducted on the margins of the 64th session of the
United Nations General Assembly.
"This was the first time that Australia had participated as a full member of the
meeting following on my request last year for Australia to move from observer to
full ministerial membership," he said in a statement.
Mr Smith said the meeting, chaired by the Philippines, aimed to achieve
understanding among civilisations, cultures and religions to promote tolerance and
respect for diversity.
He said the meeting helps strengthen the commitment to interfaith dialogue
internationally.
Those present included the foreign ministers or ambassadors of Belarus, Egypt, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan and
Thailand.
"I highlighted Australia's strong support of the regional interfaith dialogue that
Australia co-sponsors with Indonesia, New Zealand and the Philippines, which brings
together the remaining eight ASEAN nations, East Timor, Fiji and Papua New Guinea,"
he said.
Australia is to host the fifth regional interfaith dialogue on October 28-30 in
Perth, to build on previous regional discussions. The theme will be Future Faith
Leaders: Regional Challenges and Co-operation.
Mr Smith said the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, the world's
largest inter-religious gathering, will gather in Melbourne on December 3-9.
The next ministerial meeting will be held when the General Assembly meets in
September 2010.