Egypt News

Leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) are expected to issue a "strong" declaration on the Palestinian issue, with Egypt playing the lead role soon after taking over the helm of the 118-member grouping during a summit which begins here Wednesday.

Besides calling on the United States, Russia and the European Union to use their influence on Israel to honour its commitments for the peace process, Non-Aligned Movement foreign ministers also want Tel Aviv to be held accountable for the deaths and damage it had caused during the war on Gaza.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman, who attended a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Committee on Palestine, said Non-Aligned Movement representatives pledged support to Egypt in bringing the relevant Palestinian parties together to talk and bridge the differences among them.

For Malaysia, unity is one of the crucial elements to liberate the Palestinians from Israeli occupation, Anifah Monday told Malaysian journalists covering the Non-Aligned Movement summi t in Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is scheduled to arrive later Tuesday to attend the 15th summit to be officially opened by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday.

"We are hopeful because after US president Barack Obama took over as president of the United States, he has urged Israel to respect the peace initiatives and he is most desirous to resolve the problem.

"Non-Aligned Movement is asking the groups in Palestine, such as the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Fatah and Hamas, to make peace through an effort initiated by Egypt. Unless they make peace, the peace process will be unsuccessful, and Israel will take advantage of this," Anifah said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians are gaining more support after the US reaffirmed the two-state solution and demanded that Israel stop building settlements in the West Bank.

Russia also gave similar support by convening an international conference on the Middle East peace process in Moscow this year while the European Union has called for the United Nations Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state by a certain deadline even if the Israelis and Palestinians have not reached agreement among themselves.

EGYPT NEWS