REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian fifth President Megawati Soekarnoputri urged countries in Asia to jointly support the peace process across the divided Korean Peninsula. The condition considered as the sovereign peninsula of Asian countries.
"For me, the Korean Peninsula is a peninsula of the sovereignty of the Asian nations. There are no more countries and nations that can isolate themselves from other nations," Megawati stated during her speech at the KOREA-ASIA Forum 2018 in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday.
Megawati, a leader who has long fought for the peace of the two Koreas, claimed to have shed tears on April 27 when the leaders of South Korea and North Korea agreed to sign the Panmunjon Declaration for the Peace, Prosperity, and Unity of the Korean Peninsula. To her, a new page in history had been written, not only for the two Koreas but also for the nations of Asia.
Once peace on the Korean Peninsula is achieved, Megawati remarked that the next task for Asia is to maintain and give substance to peace. This must be done without limiting oneself to things that occur only on the Asian continent, but all countries should be aware that they depend on each other.
"World affairs and problems are matters and problems of Asia. Asia's future depends on efforts to deal with international problems that are multidimensional," she stated.
Hence, Megawati believes peace on the Korean Peninsula should indeed be a symbol of unity for Asian nations, which are united based on a shared outlook to actively involve themselves in offering positive contributions to the journey of mankind.
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"Our next task is to maintain unity, not only in Asia countries but also in other nations, especially those in Asia-Africa," Soekarnoputri stated.
Soekarnoputri noted that Asia and Africa can be united if disagreements over racism, terrorism, and radicalism, human trafficking, and narcotics can be settled. Asia and Africa are also united due to a joint agreement to oppose international monetary crimes.
Soekarnoputri stated that Asia and Africa will continue to strengthen unity to face and find solutions to global climate change and other environmental issues and unite to bring about development that creates prosperity for the citizens of the world.
"Thank you to the leaders and people of North Korea and South Korea. You have inspired Asia-Africa and the world to realize that there is no greater task that is more important than fostering peace," Soekarnoputri noted.
Soekarnoputri said that she represented the people of Indonesia that will always be part of the efforts to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"The Korean peninsula, a peninsula of the rise of Asia, a peninsula where the wings of Asian peace are flown to all corners of the world," she added.