REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesia is committed to establishing peace and stability in the South China Sea despite being a non-claimant country, President Joko Widodo stated.

The statement was delivered by President Widodo during a working dinner of the US-ASEAN Leaders' Summit in Sunnylands, California, the United States, on Monday night, Ministry of Foreign Affairs' spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir noted at a press release made available to Antara here on Tuesday.

President Widodo emphasized that the South China Sea should be a peaceful and stable region, hence all parties must respect the international law, prevent rivalries between the forces, and fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct (DOC), as well as finish negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) as soon as possible.

"All parties must also stop provocative actions, which might trigger tensions in the region," Nasir stated while quoting President Widodo.

Besides shedding light on the South China issue, President Widodo also highlighted the Middle East crisis and the importance of an independent Palestine for maintaining peace and stability in the region.

"I wish to encourage ASEAN and the United States to contribute to resolving the conflict in Palestine," he emphasized.

President Widodo affirmed that Indonesia will continue to support the cause of Palestinian independence, and among other concrete actions, will host the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC's) Extraordinary Meeting on Palestine and Al Quds in Jakarta on March 6-7.

The meeting will be held in a bid to reaffirm the Islamic states' stance to support Palestinian independence and the status of Jerusalem.

President Widodo is visiting the United States on February 15-16 for the US-ASEAN Leaders' Summit, and on February 17, he will attend the US-ASEAN Business Council and US-Indonesian Diaspora Meeting in San Francisco.

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