By Arul Louis

United Nations, Dec 13 (IANS): The UN General Assembly has welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, calling it a manifestation of interfaith harmony.

A resolution adopted by the Assembly on Thursday said that it "welcomes the initiative to open up the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in the spirit of interfaith harmony and peaceful neighbourhood."

It "appreciates the agreement between the governments of India and Pakistan to allow visa-free access to pilgrims of all faiths, especially Nanak Naam Levas and the Sikh community from across the world, as a landmark initiative for inter-religious and inter-cultural cooperation for peace," the resolution sponsored by Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Russia added.

The Kartarpur Corridor opened last month to connect the Indian border with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, 4.7 km inside Pakistan, permitting Indian pilgrims to travel there without visa.

Guru Nanak Dev established the first Sikh community in Kartarpur in 1504 on the bank of the River Ravi.

The Assembly resolution on promoting inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace, condemned "any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, whether it involves the use of print, audiovisual or electronic media, social media or any other means."

It also emphasised "the importance of moderation as a value within societies for countering violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism."