State leaders of countries in Asia and Africa wrapped up a landmark summit between the two continents in the Indonesian capital Saturday, vowing to work closer together to overcome the challenges of today's globalized world. The meeting is also a 50th commemoration of the first summit, called the Bandung Conference. Those meetings, held as some countries of the southern hemisphere were still struggling for independence from their colonizers, paved the way for the Non-Aligned Movement of the Cold War. "Countries in the two Asian and African continents have become a major part of the world cooperation, and this cooperation constitutes a key to face the future," said Tanzanian Vice President Ali Mohamed Shein in remarks to officials from over 100 countries, including over 40 heads of state and government, at the summit. The summit concluded with the release of the declaration on the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP), which aims to boost political, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation, by reaffirming the so-called Ten Principles of the Bandung Conference and expanding them to make their partnership relevant for contemporary times. "The 1955 Bandung Conference remains as a beacon in guiding the future progress of Asia and Africa," according to a copy of the declaration. --More 2239 Local Time 1939 GMT
