DUSHANBE, May 30, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov participated in the 17th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that took place in Algiers, Algeria on May 28-29.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, Tajik minister delivered a statement at the conference and held a number of bilateral meetings.

The two-day conference that was held under the theme “Enhanced Solidarity for Peace and Prosperity” took place before the next Summit of Heads of State scheduled for 2015 in Latin America.

The meeting reportedly brought together foreign ministers of 120 countries and over 20 observer countries to discuss topics of democracy, disarmament, social and economic development and peace.  It also designated the Latin American country that will host the next NAM Conference Summit of 2015.

The foreign ministers of Non-Aligned countries underlined the need to strengthen cooperation within the Movement.

The Conference ended on May 29 with the adoption of Algiers Declaration.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group of states which are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.  The NAM has 120 members and more 20 observer countries representing the interests and priorities of developing countries from Africa and Asia.  Tajikistan has status of observer country at the Non-Aligned Movement.

The organization was founded in Belgrade in 1961, and was largely conceived by India''s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru; Burma''s first Prime Minister U Nu; Indonesia''s first president, Sukarno; Egypt''s second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser; Ghana''s first president Kwame Nkrumah; and Yugoslavia''s president, Josip Broz Tito.  All six leaders were prominent advocates of a middle course for states in the Developing World between the Western and Eastern blocs in the Cold War.  The phrase itself was first used to represent the doctrine by Indian diplomat V. K. Krishna Menon in 1953, at the United Nations.

The countries of the Non-Aligned Movement represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations''s members and contain 55% of the world population. Membership is particularly concentrated in countries considered to be developing or part of the Third World.