Addis Ababa,July 29(ENA)--The Asian-African Sub-Regional Organizations Conference (AASROC) began in Bandung, Indonesia, on Tuesday. The Bandung, West Java, AASRO Conference is aimed at establishing a strategic partnership between Asia and Africa.

The Governments of Indonesia and South Africa jointly organized the two-day first conference, which they had previously scheduled to be held on 15-17 April and later postponed until August due among other to SARS epidemic.

A report presented at the Conference says the participants are expected to discuss the roles the Asian-African regional organizations should play for the success of the would-be partnership.

The Conference will thus focus on deliberations on a wide-range of issues of future cooperation in the areas of sustainable development, trade and investment, political and economic reform as well as peace and security between the two continents.

The foundation for forging partnership between Asia and Africa was laid during the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in 1955.

Opening the conference, Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri says an Asian-African Strategic Partnership would serve as a bridge for enhanced cooperation to tackle common problems.

Such a strategic partnership would be hugely significant as it brings together more than 100 nations with about four billion population, Soekarnoputri says.

Representing South African President to the Conference, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Dlamini Zuma called for enhanced ties between the two continents with a view to bringing about equitable economic system, create mutually beneficial trade relations, expand investment and alleviate poverty.

Countries of the two regions, according to Zuma, need to cooperate to get international assistance in their efforts to withstand the ill effects of globalization. Representatives and donors drawn from 34 countries in Asia and Africa, 22 organizations as well as regional and international agencies are in attendance at the conference in Bandung.

The 2nd AASRO Conference will be held in 2004 in South Africa and a year later in 2005 it will celebrate its golden jubilee in Bandung city, known for its tourist attractions and history.