Book on inter-cultures and inter-civilisations exchange presented in Beirut

On Friday presentation of the book Cultural Dialogue: Experience of Russia and Lebanese Orient was held at the Russian scientific and cultural center in the Lebanese capital. The book was prepared jointly by the Lebanese-Russian House in Beirut and the international humanitarian sciences center under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The book is a collection of materials of an international conference held in Tripoli in Northern Lebanon in March 2001. The conference was held under the patronage of the Lebanese Cultural Ministry with active participation of the Russian Foreign Ministry and different research centers.

Lebanese University Professor Suheil Farah, who is also one of the chiefs of the Lebanese-Russian House, told the RIA Novosti correspondent that the book covers matters of interaction between different religions and cultures, looks into the root causes of religious fanaticism and violence with regard to adherents of different faiths, as well as ways to combat such manifestations. Rich factual material for study of interaction between religious communities, finding an alternative for conflict relations between civilisations, cultures and religions is provided by the experience of multilateral contacts between Russia and countries of the Arab East, as well as their independent internal development. Its characteristic traits are the existence of many religions and "variegated" ethnicity of the population.

By virtue of its topicality, the study prepared in four languages - Russian, English, French and Arab - is going to be spread through UNESCO in many countries.