MINSK, 24 June (BelTA) - Belarus is a cozy home for various faiths, ethnic groups, Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko said at a joint meeting of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic on 24 June, BelTA has learned.
"Interfaith and interethnic peace is part and parcel of social stability in society. In terms of religious and national-cultural relations the government has been working to promote the conditions necessary for the development of all faiths and ethnic groups," Igor Petrishenko said.
According to him, the state and religious organizations cooperate in public morality and education, protection of historical and cultural heritage, charity, support for the institution of family, motherhood and childhood and many others.
"The state provides significant support to religious organizations: from tax preferences to financial assistance from the national budget and local ones for restoration and renovations of religious buildings that are monuments of history and culture," the deputy prime minister said. “A significant event for the nation was the All-Belarusian Prayer for Peace in all churches on 22 June as part of the events dedicated to the Year of Historical Memory. Peace is really our universal task, the most important factor in consolidating the society today."
