Arroyo off to Egypt Tuesday for 15th non-aligned summit (NAM)

MANILA – Still smarting from severe and increasing criticisms for her frequent foreign trips and the size of her entourage, composed mostly of selected “hangers-on,” President Arroyo is to leave for Egypt on Tuesday to attend the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a senior Malacanang official announced.

But this time, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde assured the people that the delegation would be “very lean.”

Remonde said he expects only three Cabinet members to accompany the President in her two-day trip on top of the support staff from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the office of the press secretary.

Aside from Remonde, he said Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and Silvestre Bello 3rd, the secretary to the Cabinet, would also accompany the President.

Remondo justified the inclusion of Bello, saying he was the one who represented President Arroyo in the 14th NAM summit of leaders.

With the forthcoming trip, critics said this would be the 53rd foreign travel of the President at the expense of Filipino taxpayers since she took over Malacanang in January 2001 following the ouster of then president Joseph Estrada by the Edsa 2 People Power Revolution.

Only last June, the President went on a 13-day swing through Japan, Brazil, Colombia and Hong Kong, accompanied by more than 30 of her favorite travelling companions from the House of Representatives, including their spouses and children, and other hangers-on.

Critics said her foreign trips have come at great cost to the government, totaling about the equivalent of $90 million, especially now that the country is being buffeted by the worsening global economic and financial storm.

But Remonde pointed out the President would play an important role in this year’s NAM summit because she was designated by Egypt as the spokesman for the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

“President Arroyo must attend the summit because she was personally chosen by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the host of the NAM summit, as the spokesperson for all the Asean heads of government and heads of state,” Remonde explained.

He said it is an honor for President Arroyo to speak on behalf of Asean and a “recognition of the stature of our President in the international community.”

Aside from the Philippines, Asean is composed of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma).

According to Remonde, more than 100 kings and heads of state are to attend the summit of leaders of NAM which he described as the biggest international organization, next to the United Nations.

In particular, he said the President would take the opportunity to discuss the application of the Philippines for observer status with leaders of the influential Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), which will send representatives to the summit.

This year’s summit, which will be held at the Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, will focus on diplomatic, economic, development and social issues, Remonde said.

The first NAM summit was held in the capital city of the former Yugoslavia, which was attended by 25 countries. It focused on the accelerating arms race between the US and the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

With the increase in participation of developing countries, subsequent summits shifted to condemnation of Western colonialism and the retention of foreign military installations.

Eventually, the focus shifted from political issues to solutions to global economic and similar problems, like the worsening recession throughout the world.

Related News and Articles:

• No Related News and Articles