Jakarta, April 24 (Antara) -- The heads of state/government of the Asian-African countries who participated in commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference (AAC) in Jakarta and Bandung have agreed to cooperate in all sectors.
They have also come to conclusion that effort to enhance mutual understanding, encourage world peace, and push for the independence of Palestine become the focus of attention.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Asian-African countries to encourage cooperation in all sectors to improve the people`s welfare and face challenges.
"We can grasp our goals through parallel cooperation," Joko Widodo stated at the Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java on Friday.
According to the president, Indonesia had yet to break free from the clutches of poverty, and the Asian-African countries are still reeling under its impacts.
However, a mere agreement of the Asian-African leaders to cooperate in effort to reach their goals among others to support for an independence of Palestine seemingly not enough.
In addition, praying to God Almighty is badly needed to reach the goals.
With regard to the praying, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan expressed a hope that Allah (Almighty God) gives glory to all the Asian and African leaders who attended the 60th commemoration of the Asian-African Conference (AAC) here.
"May Allah give glory to the Asian and African leaders," Ahmad Heryawan, better known as Aher stated as a preacher at a Friday prayer in the Bandung grand mosque Friday.
The Asian-African Muslims must uphold the ties of brotherhood among Muslims with the spirit of fellow human beings that is the "Insaniah and Islamiyah" brotherhood, Aher said.
"(We) must unite. This time we must present our strength to support the Palestinians to continue their fight for independence, and continue to push for humanitarian obligations for Palestinian independence," he remarked in his sermon which was read in Indonesian, English and Arabic.
Also in Bandung, President Joko Widodo accompanied by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, President of China Xi Jinping, President of Myanmar Thein Sein, and dozens of other African-Asian leaders, including from the youngest country, Timor Leste (East Timor), took part in the historical walk.
They walked from Savoy Homann Hotel to the Merdeka building via Jalan Asia Afrika road.
During the first AAC in 1955, President Soekarno from Indonesia, Norodom Sihanouk from Cambodia, U Nu from Myanmar, Gamal Abdel Nasser from Egypt, and Zhou Enlai from China, among others participated in the historical walk.
This walk was organized as one of the events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the AAC.
Some leaders headed to Bandung from Jakarta on board an aircraft provided by the Indonesian government, while others such as those from Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Angola, Vietnam, and South Africa used the aircraft of their respective countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, King of Jordan Abdullah II, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Vice President of Seychelles Danny Faure, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Al Hamdallah, and Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah, had earlier confirmed that they would not participate in the event.
Besides the Historical Walk, other activities to be held in Bandung include a minute of silence, the reading out of the Dasasila (Principles of) Bandung, and the signing of the Bandung Message.
The leaders and delegates of Asian-African countries also witnessed the screening of a film showcasing the journey of the Asia-Africa Conference (AAC) from 1955 to 2015 in the Merdeka Building, Bandung, on Friday.
The film shed light on the history and development of partnerships in Asian and African countries.
The film was screened after Asian-African leaders took part in the Historical Walk, a photo session, a minute of silence, and the reading of the Ten Principles of Bandung.
The main event of the commemoration of the AAC was the Historical Walk where Asian-African leaders walked from Savoy Homann Hotel to Merdeka Building through Jalan Asia Afrika, Bandung.
Meanwhile the African representative, President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe stated that cooperation between Asian-African countries should continue to be improved.
"During the last thirty years, the trade relations between Asian and African countries have been growing rapidly, but in an unbalanced manner," President Mugabe said here Friday.
He admitted that African countries are still lagging behind Asian countries in the economic field.
According to President Mugabe, in 2013, trade flows from Asia to Africa was 26 percent of Africa`s total trade, while trade flows from Africa to Asia was only about three percent of the total Asian trade.
Therefore, Mugabe stressed, there should be solidarity among Asian and African countries in order to achieve a balance in the economies of the two continents.
"We can achieve this goal by fighting together to diminish economic imbalances," he said, adding that the relationship between Asian and African countries should be strengthened not only for economic and trade interests but also for the growth of other sectors.
The Asia-Africa solidarity should be based on people to people contact, especially through cultural ties, President Mugabe pointed out. ***4***
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