N. Korean President In Tehran For NAM Summit

Tehran, Aug 29, IRNA – The President of the Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium of North Korea Kim Yong Nam arrived in Tehran on Wednesday to attend the 16th Non-Aligned Movement Summit. The President and his accompanying delegation were warmly received at Imam Khomeini airport by the Iranian minister of agriculture. President of the Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium is the second highest ranking capacity in North Korea. During his stay in Tehran, Kim Yong Nam is to meet with Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and discuss issues of mutual interest with him. The meeting of the heads of states of NAM countries, to convene on Thursday, will also host such dignitaries as the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas. Furthermore, senior leaders of many important international organizations such as the United States, the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation are also guests in the event. The 16th NAM Summit is held in three levels of experts meeting, foreign ministerial meeting and the meeting for the heads of states. 120 official members of the movement and 15 observing members have dispatched delegations to the meetings. The experts meeting of the organization started in Tehran for two days on Sunday. Tehran is welcoming some 7,000 foreign guests in a period of five days from August 26-31. According to the summit spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, 50 countries will attend the summit meeting comprising 27 presidents, two kings, seven prime ministers, nine vice presidents, two parliament speakers and five especial envoys. About one hundred ministerial delegations are anticipating in today’s meeting. The NAM is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. The movement has 120 members and 17 observer countries. The NAM countries represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations' members and contain 55% of the world population. Membership is particularly concentrated in countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World./end