Foreign Minister Sugiono: The Spirit Of Shanghai And The Spirit Of Bandung Are Increasingly Relevant In A World Full Of Rivalities
JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono emphasized that the spirit of Shanghai and the spirit of Bandung are increasingly relevant in a world full of rivalry while attending the 25th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) State Council in Tianjin, the People's Republic of China (RRT) on Monday.
Foreign Minister Sugiono was present to represent Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The spirit of Bandung in question is the result of the Asia-Africa Conference which was held in Bandung, West Java on April 18-24, 1955.
Speaking at the SCO Plus Meeting session, the Indonesian Foreign Minister conveyed President Prabowo's statement emphasizing the importance of peace, solidarity, and respect for international law as a foundation for sustainable development.
"Indonesia's presence in this forum is proof of our commitment to multilateralism, non-blocking principles, and the spirit of cooperation to strengthen South Global collective votes," said Foreign Minister Sugiono in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tuesday, September 2.
Furthermore, the Foreign Minister emphasized that the foundation of Shanghai's spirit is mutual trust, equality, shared benefits, and respect for diversity in line with the spirit of Bandung which inspires the nation's struggle to achieve independence.
"If in the past countries fought against colonialism and uphold justice, now together we are fighting to ensure development remains open, inclusive, and accessible to all. The spirit of Shanghai and the spirit of Bandung are increasingly relevant in this world full of rivalry," said Foreign Minister Sugiono.
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The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) originated from the Shanghai Five forum in 1996 consisting of Russia, RRT, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. This year, Indonesia was invited by the RRT as Guest of the Chair at the SCO Plus Meeting with Laos, Malaysia, Turkmenistan, and Viet Nam. Indonesia is neither a member, observer, nor a SCO dialogue partner.