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RI cannot depend on West, says Kalla
Vice President Jusuf Kalla has stated that Indonesia cannot depend on Western nations when it came to settling domestic and regional problems
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ice President Jusuf Kalla has stated that Indonesia cannot depend on Western nations when it came to settling domestic and regional problems.
Addressing the 21st Conference on Future of Asia Beyond 2015 in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, Kalla stressed that the South China Sea conflict could be resolved if leaders of conflicting countries adopted a common view on security and peace in the region.
'Regarding East Asia, we are faced with numerous challenges, such as a slowing world economy, income disparity and economic uncertainty. At present, we are being tested on our ability to settle our own problems because we can no longer depend on the West,' he said as quoted by the spokesperson for the Vice Presidential Office, Husain Abdullah.
According to Kalla, the center of economic growth and geopolitical changes is moving from the West to Asia and therefore, Asian countries have to be prepared to manage the changes.
He said Asia could play a leading role if the region managed to settle differences and reach a single common goal.
'Asia is a diverse region, ranging from sparsely populated countries like Brunei Darussalam to densely populated ones like China with its 1 billion population. It's also facing income disparity, ranging from those with monthly incomes of US$100,000 to $1,000 while it is a home to numerous political systems,' he said.
He said Asia as a diverse region was being challenged to maintain the security and peace built over a long period.
'The key solution is to keep looking forward, and the most important thing is collaboration among countries in the region,' he said. (rms)(++++)
