“Intervention in the domestic affairs of other countries, occupation, and extremism have posed unprecedented threats to the global peace, security, and development,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as the first official to address the foreign ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Venezuela’s Margarita Island on Thursday.
Voicing gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality, Zarif started his speech with offering greetings to the Venezuelans for assuming the revolving presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement.
“The underway summit of the Non-Aligned Movement gives a good opportunity to the member states to discuss the challenges ahead, especially at the current sensitive stage of affairs,” reiterated the Iranian top diplomat, “the theme chosen for the summit, ‘Peace, Sovereignty, and Union on the Path for Development,’ is an excellent choice referring to a goal for which the movement was formed in 1950s.”
The Iranian minister warned that the world today is seriously threatened by interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, occupation and extremism. He regretted that the danger is not only affecting the global security and development, but also weakening the solidarity among NAM member states.
“The current state of affairs, difficult and challenging, necessitates self-control, adherence to the international rights, norms and regulations in addition to the principles of the UN Charter,” asserted Mr. Zarif, “violent extremism, and terrorism with their unpleasant consequences like the spread of unrests and humanitarian crises are among the serious menaces which demand the full attention of us in the Non-Aligned Movement.”
The 17th NAM summit kicked off in Venezuela’s Margarita Island, on Thursday September 15, and will be concluded on Sunday September 18, 2016.
Among the heads of the states attending the event is Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani who is slated to attend the summit and deliver a speech on Friday. Then in a formal ceremony, he will hand over the NAM rotating presidency for three years to his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro.
An international organization with 120 member states and 21 observer countries, NAM represents nearly two-thirds of the UN members. It is considered as not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
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