Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum Summit is an opportunity for archipelagic and island countries to find joint solutions to tackle climate change, the Indonesian representative at the AIS R&D Conference, Alexander Muhammad Khan, said.

Khan, a researcher at Padjadjaran University, highlighted that the AIS Forum's implementation is very important because both island and archipelagic countries are grappling with climate change.

"I see that with this forum, the struggle of the island and archipelagic countries in dealing with this issue can become more structured, sharp, and no longer sporadic," he said during a virtual discussion held by the Ministry of Communication and Information, which was accessed from here on Wednesday.

The AIS Forum Summit will be held on October 10 and 11, 2023, in Bali, with the theme "Fostering Collaboration, Enabling Innovation for Our Ocean and Our Future."

According to Khan, the AIS has become a platform for island and archipelagic countries to share their struggles in facing climate change.

"Climate change is real. Climate change is a common enemy for island countries," he added.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s representative at the AIS Youth Conference 2023, Engel Laisina, said that the AIS is the appropriate forum to discuss actions for dealing with climate change, which has become more real.

Laisina, an environmental activist from Ambon, Maluku, said that island and archipelagic countries are the frontliners in the matter as they will be the most affected by climate change.

"The issue that I will raise in this forum is balancing activism in rural and urban areas because what I have seen so far are climate actions that are mostly carried out in cities," she added.

Meanwhile, more than 25 AIS Forum participating countries have confirmed their attendance at the series of AIS meetings.

The AIS Forum will focus on discussing blue economy development, climate change, handling plastic in oceans, and good maritime governance.

In addition, the AIS Forum Summit would become a crucial part of Indonesia's maritime diplomacy, which is inspired by the "Bandung Spirit" born out of the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java, in 1955, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said.









Translator: Shofi A, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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