VIENNA — The Austrian parliament approved Friday the establishment in Vienna of a center for inter-religious dialogue funded by the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia, Spain and Austria signed a deal in October to set up the center named after King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger signed the founding document with his Saudi and Spanish counterparts Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Trinidad Jimenez. “The dialogue with and between religious communities is more important than ever and indispensable for long-term peace and security,” Spindelegger had said after the signing ceremony. Prince Saud had emphasized that the mission of the King Abdullah Center would be to promote virtues and respect for human being irrespective of religion or race. The center was due to open its doors in mid-2012, but a date is not given. It will have a nine-member board representing five major world religions. — SG
