The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Israel Meir Lau, will be in Europe, at Barcelona, from Sunday 2nd September to attend the inter-religious meeting promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio, with the title: 'On the Frontiers of Dialogue: Religions and Civilization in the New Century'.

The Rabbi Lau will inaugurate the first world meeting of ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue of the beginning of this new century. In the opening assembly other speakers will intervene, among others the President of the Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, the Copt Patriarch of Ethiopia, Abuna Paulos, the Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, and the founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio, Andrea Riccardi.

The Barcelona meeting, which will last for three days -until 4th September- will discuss the topic of peace in the Mediterranean, and in Africa; the role of religions in globalisation. Other themes will be: the Middle East: peace is possible; the Balkans: towards a future of cohabitation; a third millennium without the death penalty; the mass media: between conflict and globalisation; South of the world: the ways of solidarity; Islam and Christianity: the dialogue continues; eco-compatible lifestyles and the salvation of the planet.

More than 200 religious leaders, coming from the most important world traditions, and intellectuals from different cultural and social origins, among others: Giuliano Amato and Mario Soares, the Ivory Coast writer Kourouma, the President of Generalitat de Catalunya Jordi Pujol.