NAM ministerial conference opens in Tehran, Iranian FM urges change of world order

NAM can play key role in settlement of challenges: president

Tehran, July 29, IRNA

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that the Non-Aligned Movement, by relying on its political and economic power, can play key role in settlement of global challenges.

The Iranian president made the remarks in his inaugural address to the 15th NAM foreign ministerial meeting which opened here this morning.

The movement, through formation of "a great peace and justice front" can prevent disputes and conflicts throughout the globe, he said urging the NAM to make strides towards materialization of peace and justice in the world.

The 118 member states, 15 observer members, and eight international and regional organizations are attending the two-day NAM foreign ministers meeting.

The NAM members, especially its founders and influential members such as Iran, are determined to discuss in the Tehran meeting ways and strategies to upgrade capacity of and revitalize the world's major body.

Formed in the climax of the World War II to stand up to NATO and Warsaw treaty members, NAM started to forge convergence among states, that were later labeled as the Non-Aligned states.

The NAM is an international organization of over 118 states, which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.

The NAM group of states -- as Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in his speech in the Movement's experts session in Tehran -- faces big challenges in terms of peace, security, economic development, social progress and respect for rule of law.

Israel, politically dead after 33-day war: Larijani

Tehran, July 29, IRNA

Majlis speaker, Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that Israel has become politically dead after its humiliating defeat in the 33-day war against Lebanon in (July-August 2006).

Larijani made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Foreign Minister of Lebanon Fawzi Salloukh who is currently in Tehran to attend the 15th meeting of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) foreign ministers.

The meeting opened on Tuesday morning with inaugural speech of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The 118 member states, 15 observer members, and eight international and regional organizations are attending the meeting.

Larijani said that the release of a group of the Lebanese captives from Israeli prisons was a historic defeat for Israel and a great victory for Lebanon and for the world of Islam.

Israel released five Lebanese prisoners in return for bodies of two Israeli soldiers at the Israeli-Lebanese border on July 16.

"Courage and resistance of the Lebanese people have been well supported by regional states and the Islamic world," Larijani told Salloukh stressing that Lebanon has currently reached a point where "it can say the last word." Larijani said that Tehran would support the political process of forming a national unity government in Lebanon with the support of all political groups of that country.

"Iran supports stability and peace in Lebanon," added the speaker.

NAM ministerial conference opens in Tehran

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-29 13:55:52

TEHRAN, July 29 (Xinhua) --

The 15th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) opened here on Tuesday with an inaugural speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"The world is on the verge of change," Ahmadinejad said in his speech. "It is facing frustrating challenges."

Big powers are root of many problems, said Ahmadinejad, adding that poverty is a result of wrong policy of big powers.

He accused big powers of trying to keep a monopoly on technology, saying that nuclear powers are blocking peaceful nuclear work of other states.

He said that the NAM which has the capacity for peace and justice can establish an arbitration council and can defend countries against invasion and discrimination.

The NAM potentials can be tapped to serve global development, Ahmadinejad added.

Representatives from 118 members, 15 observer members and 8 international and regional organizations including 60 foreign ministers attended the conference at the Conference Hall of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

The conference is expected to review the developments and implementation of decisions made in the 14th NAM Summit in Havana in 2006, evaluate the latest international developments, particularly those related to the issues of interests for NAM member states, and also assess the achievements made so far in the process of revitalization and strengthening of the NAM since the holding of the last summit.

The NAM, founded in 1961 with 118 members as of 2007, is an international organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. China became an observer to the NAM in 1992 which is made up of mostly developing countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Iranian FM urges change of world order

www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-29 17:59:36

TEHRAN, July 29 (Xinhua) --

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here on Tuesday that the current world order is no longer valid and should undergo dramatic change, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"The current world order is unfair and therefore should be corrected," Mottaki was quoted as saying in his address to the 15th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) opened Tuesday morning at the Conference Hall of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Tehran.

Solving world challenges and problems needs "global partnership", he said, adding that grounds have been prepared for accepting a dramatic change in the world order.

"Access to peace and justice is only possible through partnership of all nations," he said.

Mottaki further called for "refraining from unilateralism in order to help settle global crises."

Representatives from 118 members, 15 observer members and 8 international and regional organizations including 60 foreign ministers attended the two-day conference.

The conference is expected to review the developments and implementation of decisions made in the 14th NAM Summit in Havana in 2006, evaluate the latest international developments, particularly those related to the issues of interests for NAM member states, and also assess achievements made so far in the process of revitalization and strengthening of the NAM since the holding of the last Summit.

Editor: Pliny Han

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