Gul to attend non-aligned summit in Egypt

President Abdullah Gul is scheduled to attend the 15th anniversary summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt this Wednesday and Thursday. During the meeting, where representatives of 118 member countries and 17 observer members will discuss ways to promote a fairer international system that is more respectful of human rights, Gul will represent Turkey, which has guest status. Highlights of the summit's agenda include the global economic crisis, disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, tension between India and Pakistan, and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The support many NAM members gave last fall to Turkey's successful bid for temporary UN Security Council membership helped spur Gul to attend. On the sidelines of the summit, which will also be attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Gul will also have a number of bilateral meetings with leaders from Africa and South America. NAM's establishment was spearheaded in 1955 by Egypt, India and Yugoslavia in apparent reaction to the postwar bipolar international system. The only European member of the movement is Belarus, while 53 members are from Africa, 38 from Asia, and 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean.