The third round of the bilateral dialogue in the religious field between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Austria took place over three days (April 7-10, 2025), as part of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria in June 2022.
In a statement released yesterday, the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs noted that the program for this third round included a scientific seminar titled “The Reality of Interfaith Dialogue and Ways to Strengthen It and Achieve Its Goals,” held at the ministry’s headquarters, with the participation of specialists and scholars from both the Moroccan and Austrian sides.
According to the statement, members of the Austrian delegation were received by the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs at the ministry’s headquarters, where dialogue sessions were held.
During these sessions, the “strategic Moroccan-Austrian relations were emphasized, confirming that this bilateral dialogue is an extension and consolidation of the long-rooted bilateral relations between Morocco and Austria, which date back over two centuries, and that religious dialogue is part of a comprehensive strategic dialogue encompassing various aspects and fields of mutual interest.”
Participants from both sides discussed a series of challenges facing interfaith and intercultural dialogue, as well as some successful models and practices.
The same source added that the Austrian delegation visited the exhibition at the Museum of Prophetic Biography located at the headquarters of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Muhammad VI Institute for Training Imams, Male and Female Preachers, where they were briefed on the facilities and roles of this institution, in addition to the Dar al-Hekma institution.
In the same vein, the source indicated that before heading to the city of Fez, members of the Austrian delegation visited the Ecumenical Institute for Theology in Rabat, “which serves as a place for reflection and promoting dialogue between cultures and religions, exemplifying the atmosphere of peace and brotherhood that prevails in Morocco among various religious communities.”
Following that, the Austrian delegation visited Al Quaraouiyine University in Fez, where potential cooperation concerning student training and a possible legal framework for intellectual exchange and cooperation with Austrian universities was discussed, alongside a visit to the city’s most important religious landmarks.
The Moroccan and Austrian sides agreed to continue virtual exchanges by exploring the option of issuing a joint publication that includes the results and achievements from these three rounds of dialogue between cultures and religions.
