Asian-African summit to institutionalize partnership<\/p>\n
Indonesia will host a major summit meeting of Asian and African
\nnations in late April in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of
\nthe historic Asia-Africa Conference. The Jakarta Post spoke to
\nForeign Minister Hassan Wirajuda to learn more about the
\nsignificance of the summit meeting.<\/p>\n
Question: What is the purpose of this new Asia-Africa Summit?<\/p>\n
Answer: There is no single bridge connecting Asian and African
\nnations compared with other regions like the countries in the
\nAtlantic and the Pacific.<\/p>\n
We thought it would be timely for the Asian and African
\ncontinents to develop a new partnership. The main aim of the
\nupcoming summit is to reinvigorate the Bandung Spirit and
\nestablish a New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP).<\/p>\n
The Bandung Spirit provides us strong bonds of solidarity,
\nfriendship and cooperation. Many have repeatedly said the Bandung
\nSpirit is still relevant. The principles and ideals of the 1955
\nBandung Conference constituted the seeds of the Non-Aligned
\nMovement.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the forthcoming summit will provide a good
\nopportunity for us to show the world that Indonesia is
\nrebounding. A new Indonesia has emerged from the reform process
\nthat began in 1998.<\/p>\n
But is it the right time to host the summit given the recent
\ndisaster in Aceh and North Sumatra?<\/p>\n
After the Dec. 26 tsunami tragedy, we considered two
\nproposals. One was to postpone the April summit, the other to
\nstick to the original schedule but with a scaled-down event.<\/p>\n
The latter decision was taken after President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono visited (Aceh) and found the emergency relief work
\ngoing well.<\/p>\n
Several countries like Japan also asked Indonesia to keep to
\nthe original schedule so as not to lose the momentum. We decided
\nto go ahead with the original schedule.<\/p>\n
How did the idea for the summit come about?<\/p>\n
During the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh in 2002, South Africa's
\nPresident Thabo Mbeki was invited in his capacity as then-chair
\nof the African Union. Mbeki proposed an exchange of views and
\nexperiences with Asia and called on ASEAN leaders to cooperate
\nwith Africa on NEPAD (the New Partnership for Africa's
\nDevelopment).<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders responded positively. Indonesia came up with a
\npractical response, namely Indonesia and South Africa co-
\nsponsoring an Asia-Africa Summit.<\/p>\n
We wanted to use the historical moment of the golden jubilee
\nof the 1955 Bandung Conference to launch this NAASP.<\/p>\n
South Africa agreed to Indonesia's proposal to co-host the
\nsummit in April 2005 in Jakarta. Since then, we have co-hosted
\nthree meetings -- the Asian-African Sub-Regional Organizations
\nConference (AASROC I) in July 2003 in Bandung; the AASROC
\nMinisterial Working Group Meeting in March 2004 in Durban, South
\nAfrica; and AASROC II in August 2004 in Durban -- to prepare for
\nthe summit.
\n How will it be different from the 1955 Bandung conference?<\/p>\n
I would say this summit is not simply a commemorative event.
\nWe are going to organize two different but related events. One is
\nthe Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta and the other is the
\ncommemoration of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung.<\/p>\n
The Asia-Africa Summit is the first summit between Asia and
\nAfrica in 50 years. In 1965, there was an attempt to organize the
\nsecond Asia-Africa Conference in Algiers but was canceled due to
\na coup d'etat and revolution in Algeria at that time.<\/p>\n
Despite the 1955 Conference's 10 principles and very good
\njoint communique, there was no follow up or any mechanism to
\nimplement those ideals after the Bandung Conference.<\/p>\n
The summit is meant to institutionalize the partnership
\nbetween the two continents.<\/p>\n
We are proposing that there should be a summit (between Asian
\nand African leaders) every three or four years and a foreign
\nministers' meeting every two years. We are trying not to be too
\nambitious; we are not proposing a summit every year like APEC and
\nthe ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting). We are aiming at practical
\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
We already have existing individual cooperation. We intend to
\ngive new momentum to existing initiatives.<\/p>\n
Why should Asian countries be interested in such intense
\ncooperation with Africa?<\/p>\n
Many used to think of Africa as a lost continent. For a long
\ntime, Africans suffered from so many conflicts, communicable
\ndiseases such as HIV and AIDS, and extreme poverty. But we have
\nobserved that Africa is changing. Many African countries are now
\nable to solve their prolonged conflicts.<\/p>\n
Look at Mozambique. It has suffered 30 years of war. Likewise
\nAngola. But they solved their problems and Mozambique, for
\nexample, has been able to grow on an average of 8 to 10 percent
\nduring the past six to 10 years. In other words there is
\nopportunity in investment, exports and other forms of economic
\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
Look at South Africa. They settled their political problems of
\napartheid. In the past 10 years, the South African economy has
\nbeen able to grow steadily.<\/p>\n
Look at Northern Africa, Tunisia, Algeria and even now Libya.
\nUntil a few years ago Libya was isolated. Now Libya is the
\ndarling of economic power houses in the West.<\/p>\n
On a conceptual level Africa is also far ahead of Asia. It has
\nthe African Union. We in Asia are still struggling to establish a
\nsingle regional organization. Africans have a human rights
\ncharter and a regional peacekeeping force to deal with conflicts.<\/p>\n
We can learn from Africa in so many aspects and likewise
\nAfricans can also learn from Asia.<\/p>\n
How do you think the more developed nations will see this
\ninitiative?<\/p>\n
Japan is not a developing country but it has shown immense
\nenthusiasm in participating in this initiative.<\/p>\n
When we talk about a partnership between Asia and Africa we
\nshouldn't think of it an exclusive process. We can cooperate with
\nothers; for example the G-8 (Group of Eight) countries. We are
\nlooking for an inclusive process. That's why we have invited
\ndeveloped countries and international organizations to the
\nsummit.<\/p>\n
Is the NAASP initiative duplicating the Non-Aligned Movement
\nand other organizations?<\/p>\n
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a movement which focuses
\nmore on political cooperation and solidarity. NAM doesn't touch
\non (practical) economic cooperation. We also have the G-77 (Group
\nof 77), a loose grouping which focuses on deliberations. Our idea
\nis for more practical cooperation.<\/p>\n
Asia-African countries are majority members of NAM and
\nimplicitly we will strengthen NAM.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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