Egyptian minister urges support for Palestine

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr on Wednesday urged the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) member states to show more support for Palestinians ' bid for an independent state and UN membership during the Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau. "I would like to reconfirm the importance of NAM 's continuing support to the efforts for the recognition of the Palestinian state within the 4 June 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital," said Amr. The minister noted that there are 134 countries recognized the Palestinian nation, of which 12 recognized it during Egypt's chairmanship of NAM, calling on the rest of the countries to follow. Amr also expressed his concern over the Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel, urging NAM members to show united support and stand in solidarity with their fair demands. Known as the City of Peace, Sharm el-Sheikh holds the Ministerial Meeting of NAM Coordination Bureau from Monday to Thursday, which aims at making preparations for the NAM head of States Summit scheduled for this summer in Iran. As of 2012, the NAM has altogether 120 member states. Azerbaijan and Fiji became its latest members in the 16th Ministerial Meeting last year.