The event was organised by the World Conference "Religion for Peace", the Islamic Community in Croatia, the Iranian Embassy's Cultural Centre and the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus from Zagreb.
Opening the seminar at the Islamic Centre, the head of the Islamic Community, Mufti Sevko Omerbasic, said that it would contribute to strengthening the dialogue among the three leading religions in the region - Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as well as the dialogue with representatives of other Christian churches.
Omerbasic advocated the further strengthening of the interreligious dialogue, saying that it was essential for coexistence in the region.
Croatian Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic, who chairs the government commission for relations with religious communities, pointed to the importance of dialogue, adding that it was a precondition for all discussions on our present and future.
Biskupic also spoke about UNESCO's Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which Croatia is expected to sign soon. The convention bears witness to the fact that cultural diversity facilitates the development of democracy, tolerance, social justice and mutual respect among peoples and cultures, which are necessary for peace and security at the local, national and international levels, Biskupic said. "Dialogue and knowledge are becoming the most important resources because they are essential for understanding, and understanding is essential for tolerance," Biskupic said.
Commenting on the religious approach to the contemporariness of dialogue, the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus, Anto Misic, said that the interreligious dialogue was a form of religiousness and liturgy and that it was not reserved only for experts.
The purpose of dialogue is not complete agreement or the erasure of differences among religions, but understanding and love, Misic said.
The Zagreb seminar, which is taking place on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the World Conference "Religion for Peace", was also addressed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia, Francisco Javier Lozano, bishops Marko Culej and Vlado Kosic, representatives of Christian churches in Croatia, a representative of the Macedonian Orthodox church from Ohrid, Ratomir Grozdanski, and others.
The event will continue of Saturday at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus.