JAKARTA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Asian-African conference on Palestine was opened by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the State Palace here on Monday.

    Over 220 delegates from 55 Asian and African countries took part in the two -day conference, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said.

    Also present at the foreign ministerial level conference the representatives from the Latin American region such as Brazil, Venezuela and Chili, he said.

    The United Nations Relief and Work Agency, Islamic Development Bank, and the United Nations and Social Commission forward Asia participated in the conference, said Wirajuda.

    The aimed of the conference was to boost the capacity building of Palestine, Indonesian state spokesman Dino Patti Djalal has said.

    Indonesia and South Africa co-chaired the conference, he said.

    Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Asian-African countries had agreed to continue encouraging efforts to create peace in the region and support Palestinian independence.

    Faizasyah said that Asian and African countries had agreed to continue encouraging efforts to create peace in the region and support Palestinian independence.

    At the end of 2007 and early in 2008, two conferences on Palestine were held, namely the Annapolis conference in the United States and the conference of donor countries in Paris.