Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday declared the conclusion the two-day Asian-African summit which adopted three important outcome documents.
The summit promised to reinvigorate the New Asian African Strategic Partnership (NAASP).
“We have successfully adopted three important outcome documents: the Bandung Message, the Declaration on Reinvigorating the New Asian African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) and the Declaration on Palestine,” said Widodo on the closing ceremony of the summit.
Leaders from Asian and African countries pledged to strengthen cooperation within the framework of the NAASP as a platform, serving as the bridge that links Asian and African countries, said Widodo.
“Common challenges could be overcome by closer South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation,” said Joko.
Co-chairman of the summit Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said that Asian and African countries will pursue a fair multilateral trading system to contribute to growth, investment and job opportunities, as well as promotes sustainable development.
He mentioned that the summit recognizes the centrality of the maritime sector as well as the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean in bridging the economic development in Asia and Africa.
“Maritime cooperation will become one of the pillars of the New Asian African Strategic Partnership,” he said.
The leaders have agreed to reinvigorate the core ideas of the South-South movement, namely prosperity, solidarity and stability of the Asian and African nations, said Mugabe, adding “We agreed to foster trade and investment as the engine for growth.”
The Indonesian president said that leaders and delegates from Asian and African countries worked hard to produce concrete steps in ensuring the financial availability for infrastructure development, among others, through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
“I will work hard with all of you to ensure the materialization of the Strategic Partnership,” said Widodo.
Telling reporters at the end of the two-day meeting, the Indonesian president emphasized the importance of strengthening South-South Cooperation through initiatives and programs of capacity development as well as technical cooperation.
“As I have said that countries located around equator have central role to strengthen this cooperation,” he said.
Bandung Spirit is still relevant due to the world is still imbalance, far from fairness and peace, said Widodo.
The leaders have decided on the follow-up of the Asian-African conference to reinvigorate the NAASP, he said.
They have agreed that such commemorative conference will be organized every 10 years, and biennial ministerial consultations at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York will be held to provide strategic direction for Asian-African partnership, he told reporters.
The leaders agreed to consolidate the institutionalized process of the NAASP by rotating the cochairmanship of NAASP every four years as stipulated in the NAASP Declaration 2005, said Widodo.
The Asian and African countries promised to strengthen people- to-people interaction, particularly in business, academia, media, youth and sports as well as society.
The leaders also agreed to declare April 24 as Asia-Africa Day and Bandung as the capital city of solidarity of Asia-Africa.
The two-day summit was held under the theme “Strengthening South-South Cooperation to Promote World Peace and Prosperity”.