South Africa and Indonesia, as co-chairs of the NAASP, have been focusing to develop partnership ..."
Bandung (ANTARA News) - The Asian African Business Forum is an effective medium for countries in the regions to explore continental cooperation, South African Ambassador to Indonesia Pakamisa Augustine Siguba stated at the Forum on Foreign Policy Studies (FKKLN).

The FKKLN was organized by Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry here, Tuesday.

"Most Asian and African countries are developing nations, which are facing the challenges of global market capitalism," the ambassador noted.

According to Siguba, the Asian and African countries should build political solidarity and cooperation to develop closer and stronger ties, and to improve the welfare of people in the two continents.

"The relationship between Asian and African countries has been built since the Bandung Conference in 1955 and has continued to grow through various cooperation mechanisms that promote development," the ambassador noted.

The New Asian African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) is one of the mechanisms of the Asian-African cooperation and was initiated during the Asian-African Summit 2005 in Jakarta.

Ambassador Sifuba explained that the NAASP aimed at strengthening political solidarity among member countries, boosting economic growth, and enhancing social and cultural cooperation.

"South Africa and Indonesia, as co-chairs of the NAASP, have been focusing to develop partnership to ensure political solidarity, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural development," he said.

The ambassador said the mechanism of the NAASP for South Africa had a formal structure. However, greater awareness on NAASP should be spread among all member countries to develop a better understanding of the importance of the partnership.

"The initiatives, which have been realized by Indonesia and South Africa, strengthen the relations between the two regions and promote continental partnership," Ambassador Sifuba affirmed.

Since its establishment in 2005, the NAASP has focused on eight areas: counter-terrorism, combating transnational crimes, food security, energy security, empowerment of small and medium enterprises, tourism, development of the Asian-African University network, as well as gender equality and womens empowerment.
(T.KR-LWA/INE/KR-BSR/F001)

Reporter: Libertina Widyamurti Ambari
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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