MANILA, March 16 (NNN-PNA) — Egypt?s envoy to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz on Tuesday lauded the Philippines as an active member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and called attention to its ?unwavering commitment?to peace and security? evidenced by its hosting two deeply-linked peace processes.
Abdelaziz, who is also the chair of NAM?s New York-based Coordinating Bureau (CoB), delivered his remarks this morning at the opening here of the Special Non-aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting (SNAMMM) on interfaith initiatives and cooperation.
He turned over drafts of Outcome Documents (OD), which were prepared over the past months in New York jointly with the Philippines, to the chair of the SNAMMM Preparatory Senior Officials Meeting (PrepSOM), Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda F. Basilio.
According to the Egyptian envoy, the ongoing SNAMMM and the recently-concluded preparatory workshop sessions here for the May Review Conference (RevCon) of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT), are ?two processes which manifests?the unwavering commitment of the Philippines to the maintenance of international peace and security.?
The RevCon in May is presided by Philippine ambassador Libran Cabactulan.
?There is a clear underlying link between the two processes, which manifest itself in the unwavering commitment of the Philippines, as an active member of the NAM, to the maintenance of international peace and security.
Sowing the seeds of a culture of peace among peoples and nations through dialogue is instrumental to cement the global efforts towards total elimination of the shadow of war and the perils posed by the continued proliferation and stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction.
?This could only be possible through a constructive dialogue that promotes mutual understanding and acceptance of the other, as an initial, but crucial step to overcome historical rivalries, tension and mistrust,? the ambassador said.
The year 2010 is marked as the International Year of the Rapprochement of Cultures by the UNESCO, and Abdelaziz noted the ?crucial timing? of the convening of SNAMMM.
The Draft Manila Declaration and the accompanying Programme of Action of SNAMMM is being debated at press time, and the PrepSom is expected to adopt it by late afternoon.
?We hope that the adoption?by consensus will usher in a cooperative international approach to promoting dialogue, mutual understanding, enlightened knowledge and education, hence increasing the worldwide appreciation of cultural diversity,? Abdelaziz expressed.
He commended the team of Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr at the Philippine mission in New York ?for their dedicated efforts in preparing a document that garners the consent of all NAM members.?
The Egyptian diplomat reiterated NAM?s solidarity with the Philippines as it recovers from the onslaught of last September?s typhoons and found ?comfort to see that life is back to normal in the Philippines.? — NNN-PNA 
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