His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb received the Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Cairo, Askar Zhengis. The meeting discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Al-Azhar and the Republic of Kazakhstan in academic, da’wah and cultural fields.

The Grand Imam emphasized the deep relations that bind Al-Azhar to Kazakhstan, which have been strengthened through the sons of Kazakhstan coming to study at Al-Azhar, and the mutual visits to participate in conferences and seminars, especially the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which has become an important global platform for promoting interfaith dialogue.

His Eminence affirmed Al-Azhar’s readiness to strengthen relations with Kazakhstan by increasing scholarships allocated to Kazakh students to study at Al-Azhar University. Al-Azhar also hosts Kazakh imams at Al-Azhar International Academy for Training Imams and Preachers, which aim to refine the imams’ skills in dealing with contemporary issues, such as Islam’s stance on positive coexistence issues, women’s issues, and other important matters.

The Kazakh Ambassador, for his part, congratulated the Grand Imam on the approaching Eid al-Adha, praying to Allah Almighty that these occasions and holidays would return to His Eminence and the Islamic nation with goodness, security, and peace. He conveyed the greetings of the President of Kazakhstan, His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, along with his wishes for His Eminence's continued health and well-being: “We thank Your Eminence for the participation of the Egyptian delegation last September in the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and we appreciate your patronage of Kazakh students, as studying at Al-Azhar University is a great honor for the people of Kazakhstan.”