Indonesia and Britain will make joint efforts to narrow the gap between the Islamic world and the non-Islamic world, said the top leaders of the two countries here on Thursday.

"We will support interfaith dialogue. I also welcome the establishment of the UK-Indonesia Islamic advisory group," said visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a joint press conference with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Through the group, both sides will regularly discuss the difference of views between the Islamic countries and the Western countries, he added.

Meanwhile, Susilo said that the group will be led by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

The two leaders met on Thursday morning and they also held talks with major Muslim leaders of the country.

During the talk, the religious figures asked Blair to end Britain's support for the United States on its invasion of Iraq and called for Britain to pull out its troops from Islamic countries, especially Iraq.

"We criticize the approach carried out by the UK to support the U.S. in combating terrorism through unilateral approach, ignoring the role of the multilateral organization, the United Nations," said Din Syamsuddin, one of the participants of the talk who is chairman of Muhammaddiyah, the second biggest Muslim organization of Indonesia.

"The West, especially Britain, must change its paradigm in seeing Islamic world. Please don't see Islamic world as enemy and threat, but as a strategic partner," he added.

Blair arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit mainly to boost bilateral trade and investment ties. This has been the first top British leader's visit to Indonesia during the last 20 years.

Source: Xinhua