"As a movement, this forum is still very relevant," he said when met to comment on the movement while accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on a working visit to Nusa Dua, Bali, Tuesday afternoon.
Faizasyah said one of the signs showing that the NAM is still relevant is that the number of its members is still increasing.
"The number of its members is increasing although the Cold War is already over," he said.
The relevance of the organization can also be seen in the spirit shown by member country officials in attending the ministerial meeting here.
Faizasyah said 120 NAM members supported the ministerial meeting in Bali, adding 75 ministers from the countries had pledged to come to the meeting.
He said the NAM as a moral movement is needed very much. He said the NAM could become an axis that has power in the UN to fight for the interest of developing nations.
President Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the 16th NAM Ministerial Meeting on Wednesday.
The ministerial meeting was preceded by senior official meetings behind closed doors followed by committee meetings to discuss political, economic and social issues.
The 16th NAM Ministerial Meeting is very special because it happens in concurrence with the 50th anniversary of NAM.
The NAM has invited foreign ministers of member countries and also two new member countries namely Fiji and Azerbaijan to the meeting. The meeting will also be attended by observers from countries, invitees from countries and organizations and also observers from organizations.
The meeting will produce documents which is an update of the results of the last NAM summit in Sharm El Sheik in Egypt as well as a declaration on Palestine and a "Bali Commemorative Declaration".(*)
(H-YH/HAJM/a014)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
