Over 100 foreign ministers or their representatives from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) states gathered here Monday to coordinate their stance and seek more common ground on the principal documents to be adopted by the 15th NAM summit.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit called for solidarity in the ministerial meeting, saying "without solidarity, there can be no development and stability throughout the world."
"It is incumbent upon us to look ahead towards the future, seeking a better tomorrow for our people and being aware of the increasing difficulties and challenges our contemporary world faces," he said.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said "serious challenges are threatening the future of our nations, and the NAM countries have responsibility of finding proposals and concerted actions to effectively respond to them."
The coordination and concerted work among the NAM, the Group of 77 (G-77) and China through the Joint Coordination Committee will continue to be decisive, all the more so in the face of a serious economic and global crisis, he said.
At the meeting, the ministers will focus their debate on the summit theme of International Solidarity for Peace and Development as well as on current hotspot international and regional issues, such as global financial crisis, climate change, Middle East peace, food security, energy and nuclear problems.
The NAM Ministerial Meeting on Palestinian issue is scheduled to be held on Monday afternoon. A Statement on Palestine is expected to be adopted during the meeting, with highlights on the most crucial developments of the Palestinian issue and attempts to reactivate the long-stalled peace process.
Formally founded in September 1961, NAM groups 118 member states, which represents nearly two-thirds of the UN members, particularly developing countries. It also comprises 55 percent of the world population.
It is the second time for Egypt, one of the founders of the movement, to host the summit after 1964.
(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2009)
