Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Foreign Ministryhad a meeting with participants of the ASEAN Youth Interfaith Camp (AYIC) 2018in Jakarta on October 29.
The 22-strong delegation, representing thecultural and religious diversity of ASEAN countries, is taking part in variousactivities during the camp, including dialogues, discussions, and workshops inJakarta, Yogyakarta city, and the island of Bali.
They will visit various famous cultural andreligious destinations in Indonesia, such as Istiqlal Mosque and JakartaCathedral in the capital city; Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, and KotagedeMosque in Yogyakarta; as well as Besakih Temple and Dalung village in Bali.
The delegates also had the chance to talk withscholars and students at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta and the HinduUniversity Indonesia in Bali.
At the meeting on October 29, Indonesian DeputyForeign Minister Abdurrahman Mohammad Fachir stressed that ASEAN needs tobe engraved with values of tolerance to manage religious and cultural diversityso that future leaders can ensure that this region will always be peaceful andprosperous.
He underlined the necessity to make use ofchances generated by the golden population in the ASEAN region to continueempowering the youth through cooperation activities and to address challenges anddevelop ASEAN into a proud, multi-faith region.
ASEAN Deputy Secretary General AKP Mochtan saidover the five decades of its existence, the ASEAN has developed prosperously ina multi-cultural and religious ecosystem which is part of the true heritage ofthe bloc. It is important to imbue the young with these values to ensure thatASEAN will remain a peaceful and harmonious region in the future, Mochtan added.
He added that the youth will continue to hold animportant position in ASEAN’s agenda. Therefore, the AYIC 2018 is a strategicstep to translate the ASEAN Declaration on Culture of Prevention into action.
For their part, participants in the AYIC 2018conveyed the message that they will cherish the bloc’s common values likepeace, harmony, cultural understanding, and social responsibility, as well asact in the spirit of the ASEAN Declaration on Culture of Prevention for thesake of a peaceful, integrated, dynamic, healthy, and harmonious society. –VNA
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Illustrative photo (Source: theayic.com) 
