Parliamentary Conference Will Support Asian African Leaders' Policy

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Asia Africa Parliamentary Conference will declare support for the policy formulated by the heads of state during the 60th Asia Africa Conference, stated Chairman of the House of Representatives Setya Novanto.

"The Asia Africa Parliamentary Conference is a meeting between the chairmen of parliament of the South-South states. The forum will discuss the independence of Palestine, sustainable development, health, and poverty," Novanto stated here on Thursday.

"The forum will be held to discuss bilateral cooperation in trade, infrastructure, agriculture, and other fields of investment for promoting the Asian-African countries," he affirmed.

The meeting will be opened by President Joko Widodo, and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will be the keynote speaker.

Novanto stated that the forum will be an interesting session on the sidelines of the Asia-Africa Conference.

As reported, the Asia Africa Parliamentary Conference will be attended by the representatives of other countries, parliamentary leaders of the Asian-African countries, ambassadors, and diplomats.

Earlier, Muslim countries, as members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), have urged two Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas to set aside their differences for the sake of peace, while supporting the Palestinian independence.

"While pushing for the independence of (Palestine), we also call on Hamas and Fatah to unite," Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated following bilateral meetings with several countries' delegations of the Asia-Africa Conference's 60th Commemoration here on Wednesday.

According to the vice president, many Muslim countries have requested Fatah and Hamas to unite or find ways to first build internal unity.

Several senior officials of Asian-African countries have agreed on a draft document to support the Palestinian independence, which was then discussed at a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Africa Conference and will later be decided during a meeting between the heads of state.

In addition, representatives who attend the Asia-Africa Conference's 60th Commemoration have also expressed their readiness to provide more concrete assistance to the Palestinians.

Declaration to support the Palestinian Independence is one of the topics discussed during the meeting of the Asian-African Conference (AAC) commemoration, apart from the Bandung Message and the declaration on strengthening the new Asian African Strategic Partnership.

Indonesia also invites Asian-African countries to support the Palestinians through capacity building programs, as stated by the Foreign Affairs Ministry Retno L.P. Marsudi in her speech at the opening of the ministerial meeting of the Asian-African Conference commemoration in Jakarta, Monday (April 20). (WDY)