At the conclusion of the four-day visit to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan , Israeli President Peres noted that the visit was very successful. “It was an historic visit to two Moslem nations.”

During his address today to the Interfaith Conference in Kazakhstan, President Shimon Peres called upon King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia to come to Jerusalem, or to meet with him in Riyadh, to initiate discussions that would enable the implementation of their shared vision – the realization of a comprehensive peace between Israel and all the Arab states.

In his address before some 150 leaders of all the world’s religions, including a large delegation of imams led by Sheikh Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the World Moslem League and Sheikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, the Grand Imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque, the Chief Rabbis of Israel and senior Church officials, President Peres called on leaders of the world’s religions to separate religion from terror and to condemn religious leaders, who, in the name of God, advocate murder, warfare and bloodshed. The President appealed to his audience to promote peace, both around the world and in the Middle East, and emphasized that Israel ‘s course was one of appeasement and peace with all its neighbors.

It should be noted that all the Arab and Moslem delegates at the conference listened attentively to President Peres’ address, and only the Iranian delegate, Mehdi Mostafavi, senior advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left the hall, returning only after President Peres had finished his address.

In response to questions by reporters regarding the departure of the Iranian from the conference hall, President Peres stated that “There were times when Israel remained alone in the conference halls. This time, Iran was alone, while the Islamic religious leadership remained with Israel .”

The conference was also addressed by Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who raised a picture of Gilad Shalit and called on the attending religious leaders to assist in the efforts to return him home, and by the Secretary General of the World Moslem League, Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki, who stated that “I take this opportunity to call upon all religions to unite, to tear down the walls that separate us, and together promote a world of peace, tolerance and appeasement between all nations and all believers.”

Shortly after the session’s conclusion, President Peres conducted a prayer ceremony attended by hundreds of members of the Rahel Synagogue in Astana, and participated in a farewell event for members of his entourage, which included cabinet ministers and senior Israeli executives.

At the conclusion of the four-day visit to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan , President Peres noted that the visit was very successful. “It was an historic visit to two Moslem nations who have stood with Israel and have officially declared their intent to raise the level of their diplomatic relations with Israel . The official instructions of both presidents, Aliyev and Nazarbayev, to their heads of government, directing them to conclude the business transactions with Israel and to expand political and security cooperation with it, opened a tremendous opportunity for Israel to strengthen its position in the world.”

Shraga Brosh, chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, advised the president that during the visits, large-scale contracts between Israeli, Kazakh and Azerbaijani corporations had been signed, and that the high technological level of the Israeli companies made them extremely attractive for economic cooperation between Israel and these countries.

During the visits, a space technology agreement and an agreement on establishing unified industrial standards were signed with Kazakhstan , and a communications, cultural and scientific agreement was signed with Azerbaijan .