The Asia Africa Summit closed on Thursday (April 23) with leaders of Asia and Africa endorsing documents aimed at strengthening multilateral relationships between the two regions.
Among the leaders in attendance were Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Speaking during the closing ceremony, summit host, Indonesian President Joko Widodo told the audience that three key documents had been approved.
These include; the Bandung Message to Strengthen South-South Cooperation, the Declaration on Reinvigorating the New Asian African Strategic Partnership and the Declaration on Palestine.
“The deliberation process is open and inclusive which reflects the sense of ownership of all parties involved. I believe that the concepts that have resulted can reflect the essence of the spirit of Bandung, and reflects our interest. With your approval the three documents will be adopted as the outcome document of the Asian African Summit 2015. These three documents are adopted,” said Widodo, chair of the conference that is held every ten years.
The Bandung Message 2015 and Declaration on Reinvigorating the New Asian African Strategic Partnership aims to nurture strong relations amidst increasing global challenges, and to promote and protect human rights.
Leaders also supported Palestinians’ independence and the proposed two-state solution for the region.
During the opening session on Wednesday (April 22), the leaders had called for a new global order that is open to emerging economic powers and leaves the “obsolete ideas” of Bretton Woods institutions in the past.
Widodo emphasised the message by repeating twice that voices of Asia and Africa should not be ignored.
“The voices in the summit represent the voices of Asia and Africa. I repeat, the voices represent the voices of Asia and Africa. Therefore, people of the world should not ignore our voices and decisions,” said Widodo.
Co-chair of the summit, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, praised the decisions taken.
“Our success is also measured by the spirit in deliberation in all the sessions of our summit. There’s no doubt therefore that this summit will be as historic and as epochal as the one that gave birth to Bandung spirit in this very country in 1955,” Mugabe said.
Nearly 30 heads of state gathered in 1955 in the Indonesian town of Bandung to discuss security and economic development away from global powers embroiled in the Cold War.
Reuters/HOST BROADCASTER POOL
