Press Release No 065-03
24 February 2003
GMA
JOINS CALL ON IRAQ TO COMPLY WITH DISARMAMENT OBLIGATIONS; HOLDS BILATERAL
MEETINGS; and CHAIRS SESSION OF NAM SUMMIT
Kuala Lumpur – Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joined the call
of the international community for the leadership of Iraq to comply with
their country’s disarmament obligations in order to avoid war. She
emphasized this position by making a very timely and almost personal appeal
to President Saddam Hussein to lead the Iraqi people to a new era of peace
and prosperity, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said after the President
delivered her statement before the Heads of States and Governments of the
13th Non-Aligned Summit.
“The President made very appropriate references to major turning points in
history where leadership decisions made all the difference. Her call
for Iraq to disarm was subsequently echoed by the leaders who spoke after
her,” Secretary Ople said.
Commenting on the President’s speech, Secretary Ople said: “The speech was
concise and straight to the point. The Philippines maintains solidarity
with NAM and is for the revitalization of NAM. At the same time, each
country must continue to work to better itself, to develop economically and
to promote peace and order in their own countries. She emphasized the
actions we have taken in our own peace process, our war against terror, our
determination to see a world free from weapons of mass destruction and our
abiding respect for different faiths and religions.”
“Immediately after the President’s speech, no less than leading members of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference personally congratulated her for
her speech. Among these countries were the heads of state or government
or heads of delegation of Bahrain, Brunei, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, and Qatar,”
Secretary Ople added.
The President also took a break from the Plenary Meeting of the Summit to
hold separate bilateral meetings with counterparts from Thailand, Malaysia,
Libya and Bahrain.
“In all her bilateral meetings this afternoon, she received the assurances
of support for our efforts to bring peace to Southern Philippines, for the
safety and welfare of our Filipino workers in their countries, and our desire
to be admitted as a Permanent Observer in the OIC,” Secretary Ople said afterwards.
(Note: Thailand is a Permanent Observer in the OIC)
In the latter part of the afternoon today, Malaysian Prime Minister and NAM
Chairman Dr. Mahathir Mohamad asked President Arroyo, who was earlier elected
a Vice Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, to chair a session of the Plenary.
“President Arroyo assumed her position at the head of the Summit Plenary
and guided the discussions with an experienced hand,” as Secretary Ople later
described the scene.
Still on the activities of the President in Kuala Lumpur, Secretary Ople
observed that: “Considering that the President is staying less than 24 hours
in Kuala Lumpur, I believe that she was able to achieve much in promoting
many aspects of our national interest and represented the Filipino people
in this important Summit with grace and dignity.” END