Bandung Message Signed

Jakarta Globe, aacc2015.id, Apr 27, 2015

AACC 2015, Bandung – ndonesian President Joko Widodo, Chinese President Xi Jinping and King of Swaziland Mswati III symbolically signed the Bandung Message in the Merdeka Building in Bandung, West Java, on Friday.

The Bandung Message is one of three documents produced in the meetings held as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Asian-African Conference (AAC).

The three documents are the Bandung Message, the Strengthening of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) which contains an implementation framework and follow-up of the Bandung Message, and the Declaration of Palestine.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir has said China and Swaziland were selected to sign the Bandung Message along with Indonesia, based on particular consideration.

Nasir noted that China was selected to represent Asia to sign the document because it is a large and advanced country, while Swaziland was chosen to represent Africa because it is among the stable countries in the continent.

Besides the Bandung Message, the AAC also declared the document on the NAASP, and on the Declaration of Palestine which contains eight points, namely support for Palestinian independence,  appreciation of Palestine’s struggle and tenacity,  promotion of the two-state solution,  condemnation of Israel’s occupation,  condemnation of Israeli attacks,  support for the reconstruction of Gaza,  encouraging the realization of Palestine’s application for membership to the United Nations,  and pushing Asian and African countries that have yet to recognize Palesine as a country to do so. (Bambang Purwanto)