Asia-Africa Countries to Assist Palestine
Wednesday, 20 December, 2006 | 13:06 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Asia-Africa countries have made a commitment to help Palestine.

“Our focus lies on capacity building,” said Primo Alui Joelianto, the Director General for Asia, Pacific and Africa, after a “Breakfast Meeting for the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership” yesterday (12/19) in Jakarta.

Assistance to Palestine is expected to be able to provide moral support and human resources development so that in the future Palestinian leaders can bring prosperity to their people.

Palestinian ambassador Fariz Nefa Mehdawi, who also attended the meeting, expressed his gratitude and promised to maximize the aid in improving Palestine in the future.

Mehdawi also proposed that Asia-Africa nations respond more actively to existing global issues.

“Inter-nation coordination must be improved so that there is greater understanding,' he said.

In addition to matters on Palestine, the meeting also discussed partnerships between Asia-Africa nations, which included the economic, political and socio-cultural sectors.

On the political sector, the Indonesian government proposed that cooperation in fighting against narcotics dealing be carried out.

“Through exchanging intelligence information,' said Primo, however, realization of this will only be carried out in 2008.

Ibnu Hadi, Director of Inter-Regional Partnership for the Asia Pacific and Africa said that Indonesia's proposal on narcotics was based on the fact that there was one African countries involved in the issue.

He cited Nigeria as, so far, Nigerians have been caught selling narcotics to Indonesia.

Titis Setianingtyas