AASROC a forum to learn from each other: Hassan

AASROC a forum to learn from each other: Hassan

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

The Asia Africa Sub-Regional Organization Conference (AASROC)
seeks to identify problems of maintaining relations between two
regions and finding a strategic partnership in the current
world.

Citing the common experiences of dealing with conflicts and
improving economic growth, host country Indonesia underlined the
importance of both regions to learn from each other.

"We have similar experiences with conflicts, disintegration
problems and other security issues; however, we noted that the
African continent shares a common measure in supporting each
other for conflict resolution," Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hassan Wirayuda said on Monday.

Speaking at the press briefing following the opening ceremony
of the AASROC senior officials meeting, Hassan said Asian
countries could learn from how African nations established their
sub-regional peacekeeping force to cope with the conflict
situation there.

"We in Asia have never had such a mechanism. For instance, in
dealing with the separatist movement in Aceh, we had to ask for
bilateral support from the Philippines and Thailand," he said.

On the other hand, Africa could learn from Asia in improving
their economic growth, as Asia had previously maintained an
average annual growth of seven percent for several decades.

"We could explore a lot of economic cooperation with Africa,
as the region is currently concentrating more on economic
growth," he said.

The two-day ministerial meeting, which opens on Tuesday, will
serve as the preparatory meeting for the 50th commemoration of
the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, the historic event
that birthed the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War era.

The preparatory meeting is aimed at arriving at a workable
political and economic partnership as a new step toward
establishing a formal bridge between the two regions.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, trying to revive the vision
of her father, Indonesia's first president Sukarno and one of the
founders of the original conference, is to take the initiative of
rebuilding the Asia-Africa bridge that had collapsed under the
regions' respective domestic problems.

The current global problems of transnational crimes, terrorism
and communicable diseases is also on the agenda.

The idea to hold the AASROC came under tight scrutiny as the
two regions were dependent on developed countries, and many of
the participating countries are currently facing severe domestic
conflicts.

"At this meeting, at the very least we could find a common
position to create peace in the regions and put down potential
conflicts, and it should be something more than just an
expression of solidarity," Hassan said.

Ministers from 15 countries and deputy foreign ministers from
19 countries have traveled here for the AASROC, which will be
opened by Megawati at the Merdeka building, the venue of the 1955
Asia-African Conference.

The Dutch colonial building was fully restored for the
gathering. Flags of the participating countries have been flying since
the weekend, enlivening the areas surrounding the building.

A museum that had been abandoned for decades on Jl. Asia
Africa was also renovated in time for the ministers' visit.

The foreign ministry's director general for Asia, Pacific and
Africa, Makarim Wibisono, said the main priorities of the meeting
was to identify those problems that had hampered the cooperation
between the two regions, and to prepare a document of strategic
partnership, slated to be launched in 2005.

"The spirit back in 1955 of solidarity, friendship and
cooperation between the two regions remain relevant, as
currently, we are also facing new challenges that should be
addressed through cooperative measures," he said.