NAM to get stronger under IRI chairmanship
Tehran, 2008 July 29, IRIB
Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Rohitha Bogollagama said on Tuesday that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) would get stronger under Iran leadership.
The Sri Lankan Minister made the remarks in his address to the 15th meeting of Non-Aligned Movement foreign ministers which started on Tuesday morning with a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Bogollagama thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran for hosting the two-day meeting and said NAM could find a better performance and accomplish its goals more seriously with Iran's help.
The Minister referred to the existing challenges facing the contemporary world including the climate change, food and energy price surge, poverty, terrorism as well as smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons.
Bogollagama who represented the Asian states in the meeting, stressed the need for the unity and cooperation of NAM member states in order to revitalize the 118-member body. He also thanked his Cuban counterpart Felipe Perez Roque who whose country has the rotating presidency of NAM.
The NAM member states consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. The two-day gathering is also attended by 15 observer members, as well as representatives of eight international and regional organizations.
The NAM member states, especially its founders and influential members such as Iran, are determined to discuss ways and strategies to revitalize the major body and upgrade its capacity.
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