(Transcript from World News Radio)
Leaders of about 30 countries from Asia and Africa have gathered in the Indonesian capital for several days of talks.
As Darren Mara reports, it's the 60th anniversary of Indonesia hosting the first such bi-continental gathering.
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In April, 1955, leaders of 29 Asian and African countries gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, as the world was undergoing great change after the Second World War.
As Indonesian President Sukarno pointed out to the opening session of that meeting, most of the participating countries were newly-independent.
"This is the first intercontinental conference of coloured peoples, so-called coloured peoples, in the history of mankind (applause). I am proud that my country is your host. It is a new departure in the history of the world that leaders of Asian and African peoples can meet together in their own countries to discuss and deliberate upon matters of common concern."
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi says Indonesia is hoping for a focus at this year's conference on the plight of the Palestinian people.
She says Asian and African countries should be supporting the bid for creation of a state of Palestine.
"An issue that also merits our continuous support and attention is the issue of Palestine. Indonesia remains steadfast in its unwavering support for an independent Palestine within the context of two-states solution. In this context, Indonesia strongly believes that ensuring the readiness of the Palestine people's capacity to govern an independent state is as important as achieving independence itself. For this reason, it is essential for Asia-Africa countries (to) unite in rendering their support to Palestine as well as developing cooperation on capacity-building."
The Foreign Minister says Indonesia also wants this week's conference to focus on other issues, including democracy and human rights.
"We want to see a stable, democratic and prosperous Asia-Africa. We want to see Asia-Africa that respect human rights. And we want to see equality in Asia-Africa and in the world. Growing together is a must, let us make South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation as a means to grow and develop together."
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, who's an advisor to the Indonesian Vice President, told CCTV there's plenty of room for co-operation between the countries of Asia and Africa.
"From the Bandung Conference we saw many initiatives that brought developing countries, particularly in Asia, together. And now we have seen real dynamism in Asia. And we also begin to see dynamic growth in Africa. Now we will like to re-emphasize the link between Asia and Africa. So international solidarity is very important. First to capitalise all of the potentials that Asia and Africa have for our mutual benefits. But secondly in order to increase our leverage in our relations between North and South. Because the North still controls much of the international order, much of the rules and norms. So I think the countries in the global South should be more engaged and together."
Jusuf Wanandi is a Senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.
He told CCTV, since the first conference in Bandung in 1955, the main focus of the Asia-Africa conference has moved from political to economic issues.
"It's mainly a relationship that is not only for political independence when we struggled 60 years ago, but also as we have discussed and now still going on in the conference, that the economic part is very important. Because it has been a very long struggle of North-South dialogue. And now that China has grown and become a economic power. We have now a fighting chance that we can achieve that. That improvement of the developing world. China has shown that."
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