In Tashkent, during the 2nd International Forum “Dialogue of Declarations”, Turkish journalist and writer Mustafa Akyol highlighted the special importance of the Bukhara Declaration, adopted at the first forum in Bukhara in 2022. According to him, the document enshrines the right of every individual to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

Akyol emphasized that what gives the Bukhara Declaration particular value is its support for the idea of secularism, based on a balance between state institutions and religious organizations. “This is a noteworthy approach, built on mutual respect between democratic institutions and religious organizations,” the expert noted.

For information: the Forum is organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies (ISRS) in cooperation with the American NGO Love Your Neighbor Community (LYNC), with the support of the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the regional administration of Samarkand.

The event brings together around 50 leading scholars of religion, theologians, experts, and high-ranking officials from 15 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and the Central Asian states.