Indonesia has become a full-fledged democracy and the basic democratic principles are not the monopoly of democratic states,"
London (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s success in resolving its internal conflicts has contributed to the settlement of regional and global issues, Hassan Wirajuda, a member of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s Advisory Council for foreign affairs, said.

Wirajuda who is also former foreign minister made the remarks at a panel discussion on Indonesia`s and Switzerland`s Experiences in Resolving Conflicts held in Bern, Switzerland on Saturday, spokesman of the Indonesian embassy in Bern, Renata Siagian, said in an e-mailed statement to an ANTARA News correspondent in London on Sunday.

At the discussion Wirajuda also spoke of Indonesia`s experience in resolving Aceh conflict.

"It is the democratic government system that has led to dialogs among conflicting parties to achieve a common solution. What is more, Indonesia has become a full-fledged democracy and the basic democratic principles are not the monopoly of democratic states," Wirajuda said.

Organized by the Swiss Foreign Ministry in cooperation with the Indonesian embassy in Bern, the forum also featured Ambassador Georges Martin and the Deputy State Secretary of Swiss Confederation. The discussion was moderated by Laurent Goetschel of Swisspeace, a think tank focusing on issues to create global peace.

Georges Martin said the settlement of Aceh conflict is a symbol of Indonesia`s success in resolving internal conflicts and confirms the importance of dialogs within the framework of democratic system to achieve common agreement.

The success has opened a wider chance for Indonesia to contribute to the settlement of conflicts to the rest of the world as part of efforts to create a more peaceful world, he said.

Besides the Swiss Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian embassy also cooperated with three think tanks in organizing a panel discussion themed "Democracy promotion: Lessons from Different Regions of the World - Asia, Europe, Africa" on June 20.

The discussion featured Hassan Wirajuda who spoke of Indonesian diplomacy to promote democracy in Southeast Asian and Asia Pacific regions. Meanwhile, Prof. Sandra Lavenex of Luzern University and National Research Center for Swiss Democracy (NCCR) spoke of democracy promotion conducted by European Union in neighboring countries. (*)



(T.SYS/A/S012/S012) 23-06-2013 10:34:56

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