30 April 2004 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert said that she is looking forward to joining the other foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement in a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur to discuss issues relating to the Middle East.

“As a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of the Middle East, and as we share with NAM and the OIC a common desire for just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I am looking forward to this meeting and will actively participate in the deliberations,” Secretary Albert said.

Malaysia will host the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Committee on Palestine meeting on May 13 at the Putrajaya Convention Centre.

“As current NAM Chair, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar invited me to participate in this meeting, as we are currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. I have accepted this invitation,” she added.

The meeting would discuss the present critical situation in the Middle East and well as measures that the committee could take on its own mandate and by NAM as a whole.

The committee comprises Algeria, Bangladesh, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Palestine, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malaysia as its chairman.

Following past practice, the meeting will also be attended by the NAM Members of the United Nations Security Council which comprises the Members of the NAM Caucus of the Security Council namely Angola, Benin, Chile, Pakistan and Philippines.  END.