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SBY calls on Asian, African nations to unite
Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on leaders of Asian and African nations to translate their longstanding solidarity campaign into practical actions to collectively tackle global problems and improve development on the two continents
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ormer president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on leaders of Asian and African nations to translate their longstanding solidarity campaign into practical actions to collectively tackle global problems and improve development on the two continents.
In a keynote speech in front of participants of the Asia-Africa Parliamentary Conference on Thursday, on the sidelines of the 60th Asian-African Conference Commemoration (AACC), Yudhoyono said the two continents had successfully evolved from 'continents of poverty' to 'continents of opportunity', a condition that has brought new challenges for the two continents.
'This is why people are talking about the Asian century because Asia is now home to some of the world's largest economies: China, Japan, India, Indonesia, South Korea and others. This is also why people are talking about the African century because Africa is now home to some of the world's fastest growing economies: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Botswana, Angola, Mozambique and others,' Yudhoyono, who concluded his two consecutive five-year terms as president in October last year, said.
'So, the call of Asia and Africa today is much more than solidarity. It is about harnessing and seizing opportunity.'
Delivering his speech in English, Yudhoyono was invited to the event in his capacity as leader of the Seoul-based intergovernmental organization the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). He used most of his 16-minute speech to highlight three major issues ' poverty, peace and security and collective development ' and how Asian and African countries must address them.
'If we can effectively address these strategic issues, then we will change the fate of Asia-Africa for good,' he said in front of hundreds of lawmakers from over 30 Asian and African countries who gathered in the House of Representatives' plenary hall.
Yudhoyono is known for his long English-peppered sentences when delivering public speeches, a stark contrast to the speech-delivering style of his successor, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, who prefers to keep his speeches brief and in a conversational style.
Last year, at the same venue, Yudhoyono delivered an emotional farewell speech prior to the end of his presidential tenure in front of House of Representative members.
On Thursday, Yudhoyono also received at least three rounds of applause from the audience during his keynote remarks.
In his speech, Yudhoyono did not forget to highlight the role of his administration in hosting the 50th anniversary of the Asian-African Conference in 2005, in which participating countries agreed to launch the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP).
'Today, I am pleased to see how this partnership has continued to grow. Perhaps in 2025, when we commemorate 70 years of theAsian-African Conference, we shall have an achievement card to keep scores on our ongoing progress,' he said.
President Jokowi also briefly attended Thursday's event to deliver an opening speech.
In his speech, delivered in Indonesian, Jokowi said that 'As the representation of the people's voice, we can consider legislative as the embodiment of the proverb 'the voice of the people is the voice of God''.
