Asia-Africa summit urged to forge 'missing link'

JAKARTA, Friday (Reuters) - Leaders of three-quarters of the world's population had to ask hard questions about how Asia and Africa can develop together and not just reminisce at a commemorative Third World summit, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Friday.

"Asia Africa is the missing link in the worldwide structure of interregional relations," Yudhoyono said in an opening address to a summit of Asian and African leaders.

Prime ministers, presidents, kings and ministers from 100 Asian and African countries arrived to a red carpet welcome at Jakarta's main convention centre in sleek black sedans amid tight security by tens of thousands of armed police and soldiers.

"It took 50 long years for this conference to happen, but Asia and Africa has finally assembled here again. Today, the sons and daughters of Asia and Africa stand together in this hall as equals. We stand tall, proud and free," Yudhoyono said.

The meeting marks the 50th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference, where the Third World sought to assert itself for the first time.

It will be crowned by a declaration of a strategic partnership, a document devoid of controversy that pledges to boost trade and investment and stress the importance of multilateral approaches to solving conflicts.

Meanwhile U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan made an impassioned plea for Asian and African leaders to show boldness and be ready to compromise on his historic proposals to reform the United Nations.

Addressing leaders from 100 countries Annan said he wanted to make 2005 a turning point for the poor and the United Nations.

He urged presidents, prime ministers and kings meeting in the Indonesian capital Jakarta to come to New York in September and adopt his proposals at a U.N. summit on development, security and human rights.

"If a global deal is to be reached, everyone must see their major concerns addressed and everyone must be prepared to compromise. And everyone must keep in mind that we live in one world, and that our fate is shared," Annan said.

"For the sake of your peoples, this is the time to be creative and bold."

Among Annan's recommendations, made in March, are a timetable for rich countries to combat poverty in poor nations, a condemnation of all forms of terrorism, such as suicide bombings, a resolution on when military intervention could be justified and an overhaul of the main human rights body.

Many of the Asian leaders at the summit also participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), both of which seek to forge trade and investment links across continents.

This summit is aiming on a more modest scale to create such links between the Asian and African continents.

But it is Asia's diplomatic rows that are taking centre stage at the meeting, including the dispute between economic giants China and Japan over Tokyo's World War II aggression, which has sent jitters through Asia.

But it was not clear if that would be enough to ensure an ice-breaking meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, also attending the summit.

Military-ruled Myanmar's top general was also at the summit, refusing to discuss democratic reform despite growing pressure from other Southeast Asian nations.

And the number-two government leaders of North and South Korea were on hand, amid hopes they will meet in an effort to ease nuclear tensions by restating six-party talks that also include the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

Leaders will also express "abhorrence" that there is still no independent Palestinian state.