Sunday, April 24 2005 15:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bandung (Indonesia): Asian and African leaders today (Apr 24, 2005) signed a new Strategic Partnership to ensure peace, stability and security in the two continents by boosting trade and stepping up cooperation in war against terrorism and transnational organised crimes.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and South African leader Thabo Mbeki inked the four-page declaration on the New Asian-African Partnership (NAAP) in this historic town where the countries from the two continents got together for the first time in 1955 and subsequently created the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

The leaders from over 100 Asian and African countries, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had adopted the declaration at their two-day summit in Jakarta, which ended yesterday (Apr 23, 2005).

Through the strategic partnership "we will pool together the vast resources and the tremendous creative energies of Asia and Africa to solve some of the most persistent problems of development," Yudhoyono told the signing ceremony.

On the Golden Jubilee of the Bandung Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, the leaders also took a symbolic walk to commemorate the historic event.

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 will 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 institutionalised the process of New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP). A business summit in conjunction with the summit of the top leaders will also be held every four years.

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.