Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will lobby Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) members to support the admission of Palestine into UN membership, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

"Indonesia will make every effort to support the admission of Palestine into the UN. And the government`s stand has been made clear since the 16th NAM Ministerial Conference and the Commemoration of the NAM Golden Jubilee in Bali last May," Michael Tene said here on Thursday.

He said a number of NAM member states had yet to recognize Palestine`s independence and therefore, the Indonesian government would approach them.

"A number of countries have not recognized (Palestine`s independence). Therefore, the government will try to approach and encourage them to support the admission of Palestine into the UN," he said.

At their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, on Tuesday (Sept 6), a number of NAM ministers expressed support for the admission of Palestine into the UN.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr who hosted the meeting said the majority of NAM member states had recognized Palestine as an independent state.

Broto Wardoyo, observer of Middle Eastern issues, said among the five veto-wielding permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the US would be a stumbling block to the admission of Palestine into the UN.

It would be difficult for the US to accept Palestine as a UN member, he said.(*)

SDP-05/S012/HAJM/A014

Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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