H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed opens 5th Annual Conference of Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, honours winners

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, opened today the 5th Annual Conference of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies in Abu Dhabi.

The three-day event is being organised under the theme, "Alliance of Virtues An Opportunity for Global Peace". Sheikh Abdullah presented the 4th Al Hassan bin Ali International Peace Award to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed, which was received by the ambassadors of the two countries. He also praised their constructive role to achieve peace in the Horn of Africa.

Among those who attended the honouring ceremony were Sheikh Abdallah bin Bayyah, President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies; Muhammad bin Abdul Karim al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League; Samuel D. Brownback, United States Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and others.

Some 800 representatives of various religions, international human rights organisations, and a wide range of scholars, thinkers and researchers worldwide are taking part in the forum. Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the participants at the conference.

In his remarks on the occasion, Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE has an unwavering approach based on values ​​of tolerance, peace and coexistence among peoples and is promoting interfaith dialogue for the benefit of all mankind.

He also congratulated Bin Bayyah on organising this significant event that brings together representatives of various religions to enhance the human values and constitutes an alley of values and virtues for the benefit of humanity.

In his statement, Bin Bayyah said,"The UAE is a hub for humanity and tolerance and We are pleased to meet today from different cultural backgrounds, religions and races to participate in this important forum."

He stressed that the Alliance of Virtues contributes to creating a more effective mechanism for cooperation and co-existence, based on values ​​and virtues, while pointing out that its objectives include forming a front of clerics to call for peace and reject exploiting religion in conflicts and wars.

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