The maritime sector could bridge cooperation among countries in the two continents and could be made the main pillar of Asia and Africa`s new partnership, President Joko Widodo said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo officially closed the summit of the Asian African Conference Commemoration here Thursday afternoon by emphasizing the strategic position of maritime sector for boosting partnerships of countries from the two continents.

"We are aware of the importance of strategic maritime sector in the Indian Ocean for the Asian and African development," the Indonesian head of state told the Asian and African leaders and top officials attending the two-day meeting here.

The maritime sector could bridge cooperation among countries in the two continents and could be made the main pillar of Asia and Africas new partnership, he said.

"I will work with you all in ensuring that this strategic partnership can be realized," he said adding that he would also collaborate with his counterparts from the Asian and African countries to achieve the worlds justice and peace for all nations in the two continents.

Indonesia, he said, welcomed the foundation of the Asian African Center as one of the outcomes of the meeting, convened as part of the events for commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Asian African Conference.

The center that would be set up in Indonesia was aimed at planning, developing and monitoring cooperation among countries from the two continent.

The Asian and African leaders attending the summit, held in the Jakarta Convention Center on Wednesday and Thursday, also approved the date of April 24 as the Asian and African Day and Bandung as the symbolic city of Asian African cooperation.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe, who co-chaired the two-day summit with his Indonesian counterpart, said the achievements made at the meeting were highly appreciated.

The Jakarta summit, he said, was a historic moment of the rise of Asia-Africas cooperation.

Following the end of the leaders meeting in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon, the Asian and African heads of state and government attending the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference will leave for Bandung, West Java, by air on Friday.

"We will use a number of airplanes to fly VVIP guests to Bandung," said Yuri Thamrin, Director General for the Asia-Pacific and African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Among the VVIP guests who will join the historic walk from Savoy Homann Hotel to the Merdeka Building, the venue where the 1955 Asian African Conference attended by delegates of 29 countries took place, are the leaders from Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Angola, and Vietnam.

This commemorative conference produced three documents, namely the Declaration for Palestine, Bandung Message and Declaration of Reinvigorating the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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