Luanda - Angolan MPs Ângela Bragança, Clarice Kaputu and Leonor da Silva Lima e Cruz have been participating since Sunday in the first Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Forum in Bali, Indonesia.
The event, which is attended by representatives from 22 countries, including nine Speakers of parliaments, serves as a springboard to take advantage of cooperation between parliamentarians from both regions.
The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and generate momentum to improve the dynamics between African countries and Indonesia.
The opening ceremony of the event, which takes place under the theme 'Forging the Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Partnership for Local Development', was chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi.
According to the program of the meeting, which is scheduled to end on Monday, the first day was reserved for a special session called 'South-South Cooperation for Prosperity and Sustainability', focusing on the close historical relationship with Indonesia.
During the session, the speakers discussed issues related to the importance of South-South Cooperation, supporting, in this context, the inspiration of the spirit of the Bandung Conference, held in 1955 (anti-colonial struggle and solidarity) and the current challenges (economic development, renewable energies and technology/digital transformation).
They also addressed cultural diversity and development, as well as the need to identify and value the converging points for serious and constructive South-South cooperation, on a 'win-win' basis.
Also in focus was the need for South-South cooperation to be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union's Agenda 2063, as well as boosting and strengthening the path to development and promoting unity, for a stronger voice in the international arena.
The program also reserves approaches from the themes 'Building Resilient Communities through Health and Food Safety Initiatives' and 'Harnessing Trade and Investment Potential for Inclusive Economic Growth'.
With these debates, it is intended that parliaments will take advantage of the exchange programmes of agricultural experts and scientists between Indonesia and Africa in order to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and South-South learning.
The goal, according to the organization, is to explore the dynamic role that trade and investment play in promoting inclusive economic growth in developing regions, particularly between Indonesia and African nations.
'There is great potential for cooperation that needs to be optimized, considering that Indonesia and Africa have abundant natural resources that require cooperation to implement the sustainable development agenda, including in the energy transition,' the organization said.
In the organization's view, parliaments should try to reduce the disparity between countries by promoting cooperation in the field of trade, investment and technology, stronger people-to-people relations, facilitating cultural exchange and supporting the sharing of knowledge and values, including through South-South and Triangular cooperation.
The forum serves as a springboard to enhance collaboration between Indonesian and African parliamentarians and produce new commitments on a comprehensive plan to encourage long-term development cooperation between the two sides.
Also included among the objectives is to reaffirm the mutual commitment to strengthen economic, political and social connectivity between Indonesia and the African countries. ART/DOJ
