Jakarta – Nahdlatul Ulama leader Hasyim Muzadi and Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin have been elected co-chairs of the World Conference on Religion for Peace (WCRP) at its eighth meeting in Kyoto, Japan.

Din said he was elected honorary chairman of the international religious organization while Hasyim will be among its nine presidents.

Founded 36 years ago, the WCRP is based at United Nations Headquarters in New York and unites religious leaders around the globe to work for world peace using faith-based approaches.

Some 600 leaders of 20 religions from 100 countries attended the five-day conference that ended Wednesday. Din said the election of the leaders of Indonesia's two biggest Islamic organizations took into account their active contributions to promoting peace at national and international levels.

"It's an honor and responsibility that should be well received. It shows an (international) recognition of Indonesian Islam, which has been playing a role as an Islamic agent for rahmatan lil-alamin (blessing for the universe)," Din said in a short message from Russia where he just arrived from Japan on Wednesday.

Din is in Moscow to attend a meeting of the Strategic Alliance of Russia and the Islamic World.