Indonesian president calls for deeper ties

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday called for a stronger partnership between Asia and Africa.

"It's time for us to strengthen co-operation [over the] economy, trade and investment," Widodo said in his opening speech for the Asian-African Business Summit, held here during the 60th anniversary of the Asian African Conference. The series of events will continue through Friday, with delegates from more than 100 Asian and African countries attending.

Asia and Africa account for about three quarters of the world's population, and economies are growing faster than the global average. "Asia and Africa are increasingly playing roles in the development of the world economy," Widodo said, adding that the regions face similar challenges, such as high inflation and poverty rates.

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