President Mugabe leaves for Asian-African Summit

[XXPANTHAXX]

Herald Presidential Reporter

President Mugabe left for Jakarta, Indonesia, last night
where he is expected to join several other heads of state and
government from Africa and Asia at the Asian-African Summit
2005.

Cde Mugabe — who was accompanied by the First Lady Cde Grace
Mugabe, the Minister of State for Special Affairs Responsible
for Land and the Resettlement Programme Cde Flora Buka and
Higher and Tertiary Education Deputy Minister Cde Sikhanyiso
Ndlovu — is also expected to join other heads of state and
government in the Indonesian city of Bandung to commemorate
the Golden Jubilee of the Asian-African Conference which was
first held in 1955.

Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi is
expected to join the Zimbabwean delegation in Indonesia,
having gone back to London to wind up business there where he
served as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Britain before his recent
appointment to the Cabinet.

The theme of the Asian-African Summit is "Reinvigorating the
Bandung Spirit: Working Towards a New Asian-African Strategic
Partnership".

The summit comes at a time Zimbabwe has adopted and
implemented the "Look East Policy" which has seen the country
increasing co-operation with Asian countries such as China,
India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore in various
fields.

The summit is envisaged to mark the dawn of a new era of co-
operation among countries of the two continents for the
advancement of a peaceful and prosperous future.

The New Asian-African Strategic Partnership is a vehicle to
enable the countries of both continents to work together for
their mutual benefit and is intended to promote peace,
prosperity and progress in the two regions.

According to information posted on the summit’s website, the
meeting is being co-hosted by the Indonesian and South
African governments at the Jakarta Hilton Convention Centre
and will be co-chaired by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and his South African counterpart Mr Thabo Mbeki.

United Nations Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan is also
expected at the summit.

A joint statement issued by the Indonesian and South African
embassies in Harare said the historic 1955 Asian-African
Conference was convened at a time when peoples of both
continents were still under colonisation and suppression.

It said the conference gave rise to a unique spirit of
kinship and solidarity among the nations of the two regions.

"Indeed the ‘Bandung Spirit’, the core principles of which
are solidarity, friendship and co-operation, has served as an
inspiration for developing nations in their efforts to
promote a peaceful, just, and equitably prosperous world
order," the statement said.

Apart from heads of state and government, the summit will
also be attended by executive directors/secretaries-general
from sub-regional organisations in Asia and Africa, and
observers made up of representatives from governments of non-
Asian/African countries, relevant international organisations,
multilateral and regional institutions as well as key donor
countries.

A series of meetings have since last week been held by
foreign ministers from countries of both regions to discuss
and identify ways and means to foster greater Asian-African
co-operation.

During the summit, President Mugabe is expected to join
leaders from Asia and Africa in launching the New Asian-
African Strategic Partnership as a testimony to the strong
commitment of Asian-African nations in working together for a
better future. This will mark the rise of newer and closer co-
operation among the countries of the two continents.

Subsequent to the Asian-African Summit 2005, the commemoration
of the Golden Jubilee of the 1955 Asian-African Conference
will be held on April 24 in Bandung, the historical city in
which the 1955 Asian-African Conference took place.

The Indonesian president will make the opening address at the
commemoration.

On the series of events for the Golden Jubilee Commemoration,
all heads of state and government from Asia and Africa will
conduct a historical walk and be invited to plant a tree in
the "Asia-Africa Forest", symbolising the two continents’
close co-operation.

In conjunction with the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee
of the 1955 Asian-African Conference, Indonesia will also
hold several events and meetings. They include the Asian-
African Business Summit, the Symposium on Renewable Energy of
Asia and Africa, the Workshop on the Role of Women and Youth
in Furthering Asian-African Co-operation, and a trade fair.