RI calls for enhanced ties between UN and regional organizations

Antara News, Wednesday, September 29, 2010 13:39 WIB

New York (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has urged the United Nations to enhance cooperation with regional organizations, especially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), to face the challenges of the 21st Century.

"Many global problems become more manageable if there are simultaneous efforts to address them at the regional level," Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said here Tuesday evening in his address during the General Assembly`s annual high-level debate.

ASEAN and other nations in the larger Asia-Pacific region were building a regional architecture that would bring about and sustain dynamic equilibrium in the region, he said.

"ASEAN will, of course, be the driving force in the building of this architecture," the minister added.

Though democracy is a global concern, Indonesia is also `vigorously` promoting democratic values in the region through ASEAN and beyond, the Minister noted.

Next November, ASEAN will hold a Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend the high-level meeting.

ASEAN groups ten members countries in the Southeast Asian region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

In his address, Minister Marty Natalegawa also reiterated Indonesia`s support to Palestine and a direct peace process negotiation between Palestine and Israel, which was recently resumed after being halted for around 20 months.

"This is a precious opportunity for Palestine and Israel to find solutions on all final status issues," he said.