Iran Officially Receives NAM Presidency From Egypt

Tehran, Aug 30, IRNA – President Mohamed Mursi of Egypt officially handed over presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for the next three years to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the inaugural ceremony of the 16th NAM Summit here Thursday. The transfer took place after President Mursi ended his address to the inaugural ceremony of the NAM Summit which began with a speech by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The Ayatollah urged NAM members to play a more effective role in the present world which headed towards a new order. "…The world is in transition towards a new international order and the Non-Aligned Movement can and should play a new role," the Supreme Leader said. The summit is participated by heads of states from over 120 NAM member states and representatives of major international organizations including Secretary-General of the United Nation Ban Ki-moon, Special Envoy of the Saudi King Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Saud, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, President of Pakistan Yusuf Ali Zardari and Lebanese President Michel Sulaiman Senior Iranian officials are also present in the Summit including Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Head of Experts Assembly Ahmad Janati, Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and Judiciary Chief Sadeq Amoli Larijani. More than 1,000 domestic and foreign reporters and photographers are covering the major event./end