NAM meet called off after Israel bars ministers

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories -- (UPDATE 2 - 7:00 p.m.) A Non-Aligned Movement meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah was called off on Sunday after Israel barred five ministers from attending, a senior Palestinian official told AFP.

"After consultation between all the delegations in Amman and the Palestinian leadership, the Ramallah meeting of the Palestine Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement has been cancelled," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier on Sunday, Israel had refused to allow five NAM foreign ministers from entering the West Bank for the meeting.

"A decision has been taken to bar the diplomatic representatives of several countries which do not recognize Israel from crossing the Israeli borders," a senior Israeli official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The countries in question are Cuba, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh," he said.

Foreign ministers from 13 nations belonging to NAM's Palestine Committee were to meet in Ramallah on Sunday evening to back Palestinian plans to seek upgraded membership at the United Nations when the General Assembly meets next month.

The move, which is likely to gain full backing from the 120-member Non-Aligned Movement when it meets in Tehran later this month, is strongly opposed by Israel and the United States.

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