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Bilateral Consultation with Asian Participants
During the conference, the Secretary-General of AAPSO Nouri Abdul Razzak Hussain and E. A. Vidyasekera met with the Asian participants for discussion including future cooperation and organizing activities.
In the first place we met with Pallab Sen Gupta, Secretary-General of All India Peace and Solidarity Organization and A.A.M. Marleen, Secretary-General of the Sri Lanka Afro-Asian Solidarity Association.
Sri Lanka AAPSO earlier had an intention of organizing a conference in Colombo to commemorate Bandung spirit but after heavy damages caused to the country as a result of the Tsunami tidal waves, the idea had to be abandoned and concentrate on the Indian event.
According to Pallab Sen Gupta, AIPSO had proposed to hold an international event in Delhi at the end of April 2005 and beginning of May 2005. They have decided that AAPSO to be a co-sponsor. AIPSO would provide hospitality and accommodation. Delegates have to meet their own travel expenses. This conference also would take the form of an AAPSO constitutional event either the Congress or Assembly. In case if the government of India wishes to join as a co-sponsor the conference would have to be shifted by two or three months. In such an event, it would be possible to get the government of India to provide travel facilities to some African countries.
Further AIPSO expects the leadership of the AAPSO to visit India so that AIPSO will organize series of meetings with leaderships of all secular political parties. AIPSO is keenly interested in consolidating and strengthening of AAPSO. Such conferences with AAPSO in India also would be politically helpful to the Indian organization and strengthening secularism.
Pallab Sen Gupta informed us that he would send us in detail their proposals in mid March 2005.
With Vietnamese Delegation
On 3rd March, AAPSO Secretary-General and E. A. Vidyasekera met with the President of Vietnam Committee for Asian-African-Latin American Solidarity and Cooperation Pharm Van Chung and Committee member Vu Tien Dung.
The discussion focus around organizing an international conference in late August 2005 in Hanoi as part of the 60th independence celebration.
Vietnam side will host the conference and look after accommodation and hospitality. They also will try to get assistance from the international NGOs. AAPSO should provide the list of invitees from the member organizations in Asia and Africa. Some efforts must be made to get help from international NGOs to ensure the participation of African delegates who are unable to meet their own traveling.
Vietnam Committee will send AAPSO in detail the nature of the conference and its organizing format. Vietnam Committee will ensure the participation of her neighbors. AAPSO agreed to contact both Chinese and Japanese Committees.
