LONDON, August 30 (Itar-Tass) —— At the initiative of Iran, several countries of the Non-Aligned Movement /NAM/ decided to establish a group to search for settlement of the crisis in Syria, Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday.
“At the moment where other international organisations are involved in the Syrian issue, the Non-Aligned Movement cannot remain aside,” he told a news conference in Tehran.
“We have received a suggestion that the “Three” representing the Non-Aligned Movement should join the efforts to settle the conflict in Syria,” he said.
The “Three” would unite Iran, Egypt and Venezuela as present, previous and future chairs of the Non-Aligned Movement, as well as Lebanon and Iraq. The “Three” will cooperate with other international organisations,” Salehi said.
Iran’s capital city, Tehran, hosts on August 26-31 the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Non-Aligned Movement was established at the Belgrade Conference in September of 1961. Nowadays, it unites about 120 countries, 17 states are represented as observers. The basic principle of the organisation is non-participation in military blocks, including NATO. The non-aligned countries make about two-thirds of the UN members. Their population is about 55 percent of the globe’s population.
The previous summit in 2009 was opened by Egypt’s former President Hosni Mubarak. Following next three years, Cairo chaired the organisation, though during the last 18 months after the revolution and overthrowing of the old regime, the country is fully focused on its domestic problems.