Turkmenistan officials conclude OSCE-supported visit to Belgium on freedom of religion and belief
BRUSSELS, 28 November 2014 – International standards and national practices in the area of freedom of religion and belief were discussed during an OSCE-supported working visit to Belgium that concluded in Brussels today.
Four officials, representing the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under the President of Turkmenistan, the Council on Religious Affairs, and the General Prosecutor’s Office participated in the five-day visit.
“The OSCE attaches great importance to the issues of freedom of religion or belief and actively works to prevent and respond to intolerance and discrimination based on religious ground,” said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized this visit to familiarize the delegation from Turkmenistan with national practices in the area of enjoyment of the right of religion and belief in Belgium - an OSCE participating State that has a multi-faith society and pursues a policy of diversity - and we believe that officials from Turkmenistan will find the Belgian experience useful.”
The delegation had meetings at the Belgian Federal Parliament, the Flemish Parliament and European Parliament as well as the Federal Migration Centre where they discussed the relevant national legislation and got acquainted with the migration and integration policies in Belgium. During meetings with Belgian NGOs dealing with religious issues, they also learnt about the experience of working with multi-faith communities and exchanged views on the role of civil society in promoting the freedom of religion and belief.
In addition to that, professors from the Catholic University of Leuven briefed the delegation members on topics such as canon law and diversity policy. Visits to a Catholic church, synagogue and mosque enabled participants to observe how representatives of different confessions enjoy their right of the freedom of religion and belief in Belgium.