THE 15th NON-ALIGNED SUMMIT CALLS FOR A JUST WORLD ORDER

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi

Non-Aligned Movement calls for new economic system

Tom Mellen
Morning Star

Cuban President Raul Castro kicked off the 15th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Egypt yesterday by calling for a global financial system "that doesn't depend on the economic stability of only one country."

Mr Castro said that "as usual, the wealthy countries were the source of the current crisis.

"The illogic of an international economic order that depends on blind market principles and consumption and wealth of the few."

The veteran revolutionary leader called for "the creation of a new international financial and economic structure that is based on actual participation of all states and especially developing states."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was elected by acclamation as chairman of the summit, echoed Mr Castro's comments.

Mr Mubarak said that a "more equitable and balanced order" would "prevent discrimination and double standards and establish democratic dealings between rich and poor states."

The summit's draft declaration calls for the group to co-ordinate with China, which is attending the summit as an observer, to ensure that developing states have a greater say at international financial institutions like the US-dominated International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi called for the UN security council to be democratised in order to enhance the prospects of world peace and told the summit that he will demand a seat for the African Union.

"The security council is terrorism. It does not represent us and it is monopolised by a few countries, which represents a danger toward international peace," he argued.

Belarus, the sole European member of the movement, urged relatively developed NAM countries to facilitate the transfer of affordable clean energy technology to poorer states on favourable terms.

NAM leaders have welcomed Belarus's proposal to establish an international centre and a database for transferring advanced technology and a multilateral fund to finance its development, transfer and application.

Founded in September 1961, NAM now unites 118 member states, 16 observer countries and nine observer organisations.

According to the Havana Declaration of 1979, the movement, which represents nearly two-thirds of UN member states, exists to ensure "the national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of non-aligned countries" in their "struggle against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics."

CHAVEZ BUSY DEVELOPING THIRD WORLD ANTI-IMPERIALIST SOLIDARITY

Venezuela to host summit of African-South American countries

CARACAS, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela will host the Summit of African-South American countries in September, President Hugo Chavez announced on Wednesday in Doha, Qatar.

Chavez made the announcement after meeting with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Al-Gaddafi and a series of other bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the second summit of Arab-American countries, Bolivarian News Agency reported.

Chavez said he also met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, with whom he evaluated the situation of Lebanon and agreed to create a work commission to evaluate cooperation between the two countries.

He also reviewed bilateral agreements with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, and discussed ways to strengthen the bilateral ties.

Chavez also met with Bolivian President Evo Morales, discussed with him issues related to the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas Summit to be held in Caracas before the Americas Summit in Trinidad and Tobago.

After his stay in Qatar, Chavez traveled on Wednesday to Iran for a two-day official visit, during which he will meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to review a list of 205 bilateral agreements mainly focused on food, energy, education, culture, science and technology.

ITALY OWNS UP TO COLONIAL ATROCITIES TO LIBYA, APOLOGISES AND COMPENSATES

Gaddafi and Berlusconi sign accord worth billions

By Salah Sarrar
Reuters/IHT
Saturday, August 30, 2008

BENGHAZI, Libya: Libya and Italy signed an accord on
Saturday under which Italy will pay $5 billion in
compensation for colonial misdeeds during its decades-long
rule of the North African country.

"This accord opens the door to the future cooperation and
partnership between Italy and Libya," Libyan leader Muammar
Gaddafi said at the signing ceremony at a palace which was
once the headquarters of the Rome government's senior
official during the 1911-1943 colonial rule.

Italy has had difficult relations with Gaddafi since he
took power in 1969 but has backed Tripoli's recent drive to
mend fences with the West. The "friendship pact" removes a
major hurdle to an improvement in ties.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the accord
ends "40 years of misunderstanding", adding that "it is a
complete and moral acknowledgement of the damage inflicted
on Libya by Italy during the colonial era".

"In the name of the Italian people ... I feel the duty to
apologise and show our pain for what happened many years
ago and which affected many of your families," Berlusconi
said, according to a text on the government's website.

Libya says Italian troops killed thousands of Libyans and
drove thousands more from their villages and cities during
the colonial era.

"In this historic document, Italy apologises for its
killing, destruction and repression against Libyans during
the colonial rule," Gaddafi said.

Present day Italy is a friendly country, added Gaddafi, who
expelled Italian residents and confiscated their property
in 1970.

Gaddafi gave no details of the amount of money involved in
the deal but Berlusconi said on arrival that $200 million
per year will be invested by Italy in Libya over 25 years.

"Italian companies will set up more business in Libya,"
Berlusconi said, without giving details.

VENUS RETURNED

Italian officials said the amount of compensation would
total $5 billion in investments, including the construction
of a highway across Libya from the Tunisian border to
Egypt.

It also involves a project to clear mines dating back to
the colonial era.

Italy expects in return to win energy contracts and for the
Tripoli government to toughen security measures, including
joint maritime patrols, to stem the flow of illegal
migrants.

In a goodwill gesture on Saturday, Italy returned an
ancient statue of Venus taken to Rome during colonial rule,
Libyan state media reported.

The headless "Venus of Cyrene" was carried away from the
town of Cyrene, an ancient Greek colony, by Italian troops
and put on display in Rome.

Tripoli's relations with the West have improved
dramatically since 2003 when Libya accepted responsibility
for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie,
Scotland.

Libya has also said it would stop pursuing nuclear,
chemical and biological weapons.

On August 14 Libya signed a deal with the United States to
settle both countries' claims for compensation for
bombings.