Rakhamim Yashaevich Emanuilov, orientalist, founder and president of the Civilizations' Interaction Fund and advisor to the Federation Council chairman for Middle Eastern and Central Asian affairs, studied at Baku State University, graduating in 1972, and during his remarkably successful career served in the USSR's embassies in Iran
and Afghanistan, as well as in the foreign Trade Department of the Council of Ministers. Mr Emanuilov, who is fluent in English, Persian, Azerbaijani and Russian, sets the establishment of inter-cultural dialogue as the main purpose of his life.
Mr Emanulov: The Civilizations’ Interaction Fund was created only a year ago, but it has already contributed to the preparations for the summit of religious leaders that took place in Baku last April, as well as to the organization of the ‘Russia and the Islamic World’ conference. The main purpose of the Fund is to harmonize social relations and to strengthen the moral foundations of the inter-civilization dialogue that is to be carried on in a manner devoid of conflict. Such interaction demands total abdication of aggressive policy. All civilizations and cultures, no matter their
current positions, should join their efforts to grant a better future for themselves and the world as a whole. So the Fund aspires to bring some of the world’s communities closer and to show them the benefits of mutual respect, and that is possible only with the participation of spiritual leaders. Without such inter-cultural dialogue, the world
would be heading toward self-destruction.
Speaking of inter-religious dialogue: last August, Moscow hosted the meeting of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', Kirill I, and one of most respected religious leaders on post-Soviet space, sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Hummat Pashazade, the Grand Mufti of the Caucasus. The issue of activation of inter-religious dialogue in Russia, Azerbaijan and the Caucasus was on the top of the agenda. It is worth mentioning that, prior to this meeting, a summit of religious leaders was held in Baku and our Fund made its contribution to the organization of this event. The Baku summit decreed that all religious leaders should issue joint responses to the world’s events. During the Moscow meetings Orthodox and Islamic leaders discussed this decision. After the meeting, Kirill I declared that a session of the Inter-Religious Council of the Commonwealth of Inedependent States, dealing with modern economic and political relations in Eurasian space, will be held next November. I think that the Inter-religious Council is a good candidate to become a platform for religious dialogue within post-Soviet space and even outside of it, and our Fund is ready to provide all the necessary support.
Interview by Asya Gadjizade, AzerTadj, exclusively to VK
