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commemoration of the 58th anniversary of the 1955 Asian-African Conference opened on Thursday with an appeal to nations to fight for the freedom of Palestine.

The Foreign Ministry'€™s Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir reminded the participants on Thursday that they must still fight to uphold the Bandung principle of world freedom and peace.

Referring to the Palestinians who are suffering under Israeli oppression, Fachir said in his opening speech at the Merdeka building, venue of the conference 58 years ago, '€œThe conference spirit is still relevant today as the world is not yet free from colonialism, poverty and fear.'€

The conference on April 18-24, 1955 resulted in the Dasa Sila Bandung (the Ten Principles of Bandung) that called states to refrain from aggression and promote peaceful settlement of disputes.

The final communique was signed by 29 African-Asian countries, opened the way for the Non-Aligned movement (NAM) in 1961.

The anniversary celebration opened on Thursday with a flag hoisting ceremony for the 106 flags of Asian-African nations and of the United Nations.

Fachir added that Indonesia, as an influential country at the original conference, continue to play a role in conflict resolution in the Asian region.

'€œIndonesia also has experienced transitions in democracy and economic management,'€ he said.

Included in the celebration will be dialogues among figures participating the 1955 conference
on Friday.

An event called '€œBandung Historical Study Games'€ will be held along the city'€™s historical thoroughfares on Saturday.

Other events include a world music festival; a talk show and workshop; exhibition and several performances.

The commemoration events will be closed on April 24.