NAM Summit: Iran condemns West's policy of intimidation

Iran on Sunday condemned the West's policy of intimidation against other nations and sought NAM's support to end tough West-sponsored sanctions against it over its nuclear programme, as officials from 120 countries, including India, gathered here for the 16th NAM summit.

"We believe that adopting worn-out policies based on intimidation and humiliation is not only unjust and unjustifiable but also weakens international cooperation for the materialisation of the goals and objectives of the United nations charter," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said.

In his opening remarks at the meeting of the officials of Non-Aligned Movement member states, Salehi said, "No doubt, those who plan such policies will soon find out that they are doomed to failure," Fars news agency reported.

Iran is facing a series of tough UN and Western economic and financial sanctions  crippling its oil and gas industry over its nuclear programme, which it calls peaceful.  

However, West accuses Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons. He also said that 'we take this opportunity to thank the NAM for its support' backing Iran's 'legitimate rights' to nuclear activities.

Referring to crisis in Syria, the Iranian minister called for 'national dialogue' as a peaceful solution for internal affairs of countries.

The officials from 120 NAM member states met on Sunday to work on the agenda of the heads-of-state summit to be held on Thursday and Friday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will attend the Summit, which will be preceded by crucial bilateral talks with Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Also on the sidelines of the meeting, India, Iran and Afghanistan will hold a strategic trilateral meet in which key issues, including regional security and economic situation and best utilisation of Chabahar Port, a significant commercial venture, will be discussed.