Indonesia To Host The 60th Asia-Africa Conference

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Indonesia will be the host of the international grand meeting known as the Asia- Africa Conference (KAA). The 60^th annual conference will be held this April 2015. Chosen as the host for the international-scale event, Indonesia will have the opportunity to show the world the role it plays in the international system.

"This is the right momentum for our country to remind the world that we have a role that is so important in the international system. We want this realization to be highlighted by worldwide audience," President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo said during the opening of a meeting with the cabinet at the presidential office, Friday (09/01/2015).

For that matter, Jokowi and other involving parties have to better prepare themselves for the upcoming events. This includes security measures.

"So the planning and the organizing of the events should be done right now as it is only 3 months away," he explained.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Armanatha Nasir said the exact date of the event has not yet been decided. He is however sure of the possibility of the events being held in two places, Jakarta and Bandung.

"It will be a full summit where many of international leaders are expected to come," Armanatha said during a press conference, Wednesday, (07/01/2015).

He further informs that the Minister of Foreign Relations Retno Marsudi is scheduled to deliver this information to a number of ministers in African countries by 30 January 2015. On that day, there will be a uni-Africa meeting which will be held at Adis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The first Asia- Africa conference was in 1955. Indonesia, along with other nations such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan were reported to have been the initiator. Apart from using this meeting as a platform to promote the economic cooperation between Asia and African countries, it is also used to strengthen the notion of fighting colonialism from The U.S, Russia and other imperialist nations. This forum was also considered as the underlying impetus forming the non-bloc movement in 1961. (Akp/Tnt)