51 Countries Participate in Iran NAM Summit, “Israel” Fearful
Some 51 countries have so far announced their participation in the 16th heads-of-state summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at the highest level, Iranian officials said, and added that the number is growing, reported Iran's Fars news agency. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman is to attend the summit.
Most remarkable is that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also plans to take part despite US and "Israeli" rejection.
"So far, 51 countries have voiced preparedness to participate in the Tehran summit at the highest level and the number is growing," Iranian Vice-President for International Affairs Ali Saeedlou told reporters after a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.
According to Saeedlou, a total number of 150 delegations from different world countries and international bodies have expressed willingness to attend the meeting, including several groupings outside the NAM which will attend the conference as special guests.
Saeedlou also stated that Iran is prepared to host 7,000 guests during the summit.
On the participation of Ban Ki-Moon, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said that Ki-Moon will attend the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Iran despite pressures from the US and "Israel"
Reuters had quoted an anonymous diplomatic source saying "It's a very important bloc of nations. Of course the SG is going; He can't not go."
Previously, the US and the "Israeli" regimes had urged the UN secretary general to refrain from attending the meeting of NAM and had even termed Ban's possible trip to Tehran a "big mistake."
On Tuesday, Commenting on the Zionist entity's reaction, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said "Israel" is fearful of the upcoming summit as the event is certain to contribute to the Islamic Republic's power.
"The enhancement of Iran's power in the region and the world is the main reason behind the fear of the occupying Zionist regime [of Israel] of the (expected) taking place of the Non-Aligned [Movement] summit in Tehran," Sayyari said.
Also, referring to the upcoming NAM meeting, Head of Iran's Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Mohammad Baqer Khorramshad told IRNA Wednesday that the movement is undoubtedly capable of playing effective roles in the international arenas.
He then said Iran's presidency over the NAM for the next three years would foil the US plots against the country, reiterating that the Islamic Republic plays constructive role in bringing more stability to the movement.
He further stressed that the existing solidarity among the NAM member states has exerted pressure on the West.
It was also announced on Wednesday that the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Libyan Foreign Minister Ashour Bin Khayal, Tunisian Foreign Minister Rafik Abdessalem, and South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will attend the summit.
The 16th NAM summit will be held in the Iranian capital, Tehran, from August 26 to 31.
"Israel" is fearful of the upcoming summit as the event is certain to contribute to the Islamic Republic's power
NAM is comprised of around 120 member states and 17 observer countries. It is an international organization of states considering themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc, and is the largest grouping of countries outside of the United Nations.
Nearly two-thirds of the United Nations' members are also NAM members which represent 55% of the world population, particularly countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World. NAM's purpose, as stated in the Havana Declaration of 1979, is to ensure "the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries."
NAM summit is held once every three years in a member state.
Source: News Agencies, edited by moqawama.org
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