Bandung (Indonesia): Asian and African leaders today decided to pool together the resources and the creative energies of Asia and Africa to solve the problems of development.

The Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and the South African leader, Thabo Mbeki, inked the four-page declaration.In the declaration, the leaders said: "We are determined to prevent conflict and resolve disputes by peaceful means and endeavour to explore innovative mechanisms for confidence building and dispute resolution as well as for post-conflict peace building."

"The strategic partnership provides a momentum in achieving peace, prosperity and progress" and would be based on nine principles and ideals, the declaration said.

These principles and ideals include collective and united efforts in multilateral fora, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, promotion of a just, democratic, transparent, accountable and harmonious society and commitment to open dialogue based on mutual respect and benefit.

A summit of Heads of State and Government will be held every four years, a meeting of Foreign Ministers every two years, and sectoral ministerial and other technical meetings when deemed as necessary to develop and institutionalise the process of NAASP.

A business summit in conjunction with the summit of the top leaders will also be held every four years.

For practical cooperation

The NAASP shall emphasise the need to promote practical cooperation between the two continents in trade, industry, investment, finance, tourism, information and communication technology, energy, health, transportation, agriculture, water resources and fisheries, according to the declaration.

"We envision an Asian-African region at peace with itself and with the world at large, working together as a concert of nations in harmony, non-exclusive, bonded in dynamic partnership and conscious of our historical ties and cultural heritage.

"We visualise an affluent Asian-African region characterised by equitable growth, sustainable development as well as a common determination to enhance the quality of life and well-being of our people,'' resolved the leaders from the two continents.

"The people in these societies should live in stability, prosperity, dignity and free from fears of violence, oppression and injustice,'' the leaders said.

They decided that NAASP shall be conducted through three tiers of interaction — an inter-Governmental forum, sub-regional organisations and people-to-people interaction, particularly business, academia and civil society.

A beacon

Observing that the spirit of Bandung, the core principles of which are solidarity, friendship and cooperation, continued to be a solid, relevant and effective foundation for fostering better relations between Asian and African countries, the Declaration said the 1955 Bandung Conference remained a beacon in guiding the future progress of Asia and Africa.

The leaders underlined the importance of dialogue among civilisations to promote a culture of peace, tolerance and respect for religion, culture, language and racial diversities as well as gender equality.

They acknowledged the importance of complementing and building upon the existing initiatives that link the two continents, inter alia the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the China-Africa Forum, the India-Africa cooperation, Indonesia-Brunei-Dar-es-Salaam sponsored South-South Technical Cooperation for Non-Aligned Movement Countries, Vietnam-Africa Forum, the Smart partnership initiative and the Langkawi International Dialogue.

"We stress the importance of streamlining and aligning existing initiatives for coherence and maximum benefit and to avoid duplication,'' they added. — PTI

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