AT THE N.A.M. SUMMIT: PHILIPPINE LEADERSHIP RECOGNIZED; ISOLATION WAS NEVER AN ISSUE

Press Release No. 63-03
24 February 2003

AT THE N.A.M. SUMMIT: PHILIPPINE LEADERSHIP RECOGNIZED; ISOLATION WAS NEVER AN ISSUE - OPLE

Kuala Lumpur – In a development that dispels any notion that the Philippines was isolated at the 13th NAM Summit, President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo was elected as one of the Vice-Chairpersons of the Non-Aligned Movement.

“The leadership role of the Philippines was recognized by the Movement by electing our President as Vice-Chairperson. This recognition should put to rest speculations that the Philippines was isolated in the Non-Aligned Movement,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said today on the sidelines of the 13th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Secretary Ople also said that the wide range of views that were presented in the discussions and in the negotiations on the issue of Iraq at the Summit, should not lead anyone to conclude that there were delegations that were isolated or cut off from the rest of the delegations.

“The negotiations were very involved and at times passionate. Many different views were expressed as we slowly worked towards the consensus on the current draft on the separate NAM statement on Iraq. This is par for the course in multilateral negotiations and it is a far stretch to say that any delegation was isolated. Isolation, for the Philippines or any other country, was never an issue,” Secretary Ople said.

“In the end we came to a common agreement on the statement and that statement reflects the position of the Philippines, consistent with its interests as a member of NAM and as a member of the United Nations,” Secretary Ople added.

The final draft of the NAM Statement on Iraq reiterated the call for a peaceful solution as well as the need for Iraq to comply with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 1441.

The situation in Iraq was one of the issues that dominated the discussions during the Senior Officials and Ministerial meetings of the NAM. The Philippines actively participated in these negotiations and worked with all delegations concerned to reach a consensus.

The NAM Statement on Iraq is to be adopted by the NAM Summit, together with the Summit Declaration and the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, before the conclusion of the Summit Meeting tomorrow. END.