NAM draft statement opposes foreign intervention in Syria

TEHRAN,Aug.29(MNA) – Foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement issued a draft statement on Tuesday in which they stated the Syrian crisis must be resolved without foreign intervention and welcomed Lakhdar Brahimi as the representative of the UN secretary general for Syria, replacing Kofi Annan. “While studying the draft, there was a little difference between Syria and another country, which of course was resolved with the management of Iran, and all countries present (at the meeting) endorsed the draft,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters on Tuesday. At Tuesday’s meeting, the draft statement, which had been drawn up during the senior officials’ meetings held on Sunday and Monday, was ratified. The final statement will be ratified during the NAM meetings of the heads of state and government, which are scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi also said on Tuesday that the foreign ministers explored ways to help resolve the situation in Syria. “The foreign ministers present at the Tehran summit paid special attention to the issue of Syria, and various views were expressed at the meeting of the foreign ministers,” he added. Salehi stated, “Our objective is to facilitate the resolution of Syria’s problem and to help resolve the problem without others’ interference and through a Syrian-Syrian (solution).” Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister Ramzy Ezzedine Ramzy delivered a speech at Tuesday’s meeting, in which he said that the termination of foreign interference in the world’s countries is a prerequisite for the establishment of lasting global peace. Egypt currently holds the rotating presidency of the movement, and the presidency will be handed over to the Islamic Republic for three years during Thursday’s meeting. In his speech, Ramzy stated that Egypt is confident that Iran will make every effort to help accomplish NAM’s objectives during its presidency over the movement.