Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc has affirmed the traditional solidarity between Vietnam and African countries in the past struggle for independence and the current cooperation for development.

The Deputy Minister made the statement at the ministerial-level Asian-African meeting that took place in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta on April 20 to discuss ways to increase cooperation between the two continents.

He agreed that it is necessary to maintain Bandung principles, especially of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, not using force, not exerting pressuren, and solving international disputes through peaceful measures dictated by international law.

The Deputy Minister recommended increasing connections and ensuring freedom, safety, and security of navigation and aviation to boost economic exchanges.

The meeting was also an occasion for delegates to review preparations for the Asia-Africa Summit, the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Meeting and the 10th anniversary of the Asian-African Partnership from April 22-24.

Meeting participants agreed that Asian and African countries are facing common issues of instability, conflicts, poverty and climate change.

Participating countries emphasised the need to share experiences and promote South-South cooperation for development and prosperity alongside each country’s own efforts.

They also underscored that to maintain peace, stability and development, countries must conform to Bandung 1955 principles.-VNA