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Indonesian NGO Head Backs Russia’s G20 Participation, President Putin’s Attendance at Bali Summit

Indonesian NGO Head Backs Russia’s G20 Participation, President Putin’s Attendance at Bali Summit

Sputnik International

Despite pressure from the West over the Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine, Indonesia wants Russia to attend the G20 summit, which is due to take... 28.05.2022, Sputnik International

2022-05-28T09:03+0000

2022-05-28T09:03+0000

2022-05-28T09:03+0000

indonesia

g20

vladimir putin

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The Asian African Youth Government (AAYG) was formed in 2015 in Indonesia’s Bandung, as a successor to 1955's Asian African Conference, and has gained mass support in nations around the world. According to the organisation’s president, Respiratori Saddam Al Jihad, during the regime of president Sukarno (1945-1967) Indonesia and Russia shared many goals, a tradition that his NGO is now eager to preserve. Al Jihad also emphasised that his organisation is vocal in its support of Russia’s G20 participation.Sputnik: You were elected president of the Asian African Youth Government last year. What are your goals as its leader and what is the organisation's current goals? What programmes is the AAYG working on?Respiratori Saddam Al Jihad: First, we are focusing on Asian and African youth. We want to develop soft diplomacy through implementing Asian and African youth roles in the form of “big door diplomacy”. Whereas government provides only “single track diplomacy”, we use a broader approach, with two tracks, which is very important. We work through different channels - network media, government and NGOs. We think it’s crucial to establish collaboration, to have this sort of connectivity and to establish partnerships. AAYG has an international leadership training programme - the best programme to create diplomatic channels.We create positive opinions through the media about our organisation and about our partnerships - for instance, with the Russian Federation. By engaging with national media in Indonesia we want to create a positive view of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine - this is so important.Besides all that, we also work in the areas of economy, education, scholarships, humanity, politics, security and defence - all these are elements of the AAYG programmes.Sputnik: Your organisation's roots lie deep in the region's history. How important are the traditions of the non-aligned movement for today’s youth in your country, and how important is people’s diplomacy for young people?Respiratori Saddam Al Jihad: The AAYG has its roots in the 1955 Asian-African conference [in Bandung, Indonesia], which was organised during the Sukarno era. This is an important legacy for our organisation. Our organisation was founded in 2015 during the 60th anniversary of this event which was held while our first president was in power, and since then we have followed the same goals. When the 1955 conference took place, Indonesia under Sukarno had good relations with [Soviet Leader] Nikita Khrushchev. Sukarno visited the Soviet Union in 1963. As Indonesian youth, we want to act in accordance with Sukarno’s legacy and do what we can so Indonesia and Russia can enjoy an eternal relationship, because our nations have the closest friendship.I’m looking forward to visiting Russia and I want to know more about Russia’s special military operation. I think this operation is about Russia’s sovereignty. Stability in Eastern Europe corresponds with the Bandung principles which were adopted at the 1955 conference, and these principles are the main foundation of our organisation. We believe that Russia is defending its sovereignty from US and NATO interference. Sovereignty is equally important for Indonesia, just as it is for Russia, so the AAYG strongly supports the Russian Federation in this regard, but, at the same time we would also like to emphasise the need for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through an agreement suitable for both sides.Sputnik: Your organisation has members in dozens of countries. What are these nations and what are the international organisations and forums AAYG considers most important?Respiratori Saddam Al Jihad: We have members from 52 countries in our organisation. My vice-presidents come from six continents, our representatives come from various regions and nations - from Malaysia and Pakistan, to Iraq; from Ghana and Morocco to Bangladesh. Each leader represents the National Youth Council of their country, there are many people living in these nations and there are so many ways we can cooperate on various issues. Humanitarian issues, for example, are essential for us. Scholarships, education, and future leaders are also important for the AAYG, as well as global strategies, such as those of the G20.Indonesia holds the presidency in G20 this year and I really support the Indonesian government’s insistence on inviting Russia, because Russia is a member of the Group of Twenty. G20 is not a political forum, it’s about the economy, and it is discussing economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.The United States pressured the Indonesian government [to disinvite Russia], but the Indonesian authorities refused [to do so]. And we, as AAYG support this decision to invite Russia as an equal participant of the G20. We have already voiced our position in Indonesia's media in support of Vladimir Putin’s attendance at the G20 summit.At the Model United Nations conference held between 20 and 22 May 2022 in Dubai, I also proposed several important points in the process of resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine. As a representative of Indonesia at the MUN, I have high hopes that countries will push for the Russia-Ukraine war to end as soon as possible. We need a solution that benefits both parties, and puts an end to outside intervention.First and foremost, there is an international council that objectively assesses the root cause of the Russia-Ukraine war. It is non-partisan in its stance towards both the conflicting parties and external parties and it will later act as a mediator to find a win-win solution. Second, we invite Ukraine to compromise and abandon its thoughts of joining NATO, especially since Russia and Ukraine have a long history of friendship, including the history of being under the Soviet Union. And last, I sincerely hope that sanctions, including in the economic sector imposed on Russia, will be lifted immediately because they will not only harm Russia and associated countries but also have a negative impact on Europe's economies because so many of its countries depend on Russian oil and gas.

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