Tuesday, May 30 2006 14:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Putrajaya (Malaysia): With just a few hours left for the NAM Foreign Ministers' meeting to end here today (May 30, 2006), leaders and delegates are busy trying to reach a consensus on touchy issues like Iran's nuclear programme with Teheran keen that a separate statement to support its plan be issued.

Iran's controversial nuclear programme dominated the debate at the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau Ministerial meeting here yesterday.

"At least three countries have opposed the draft of the statement which has been prepared, a delegate said adding, the issue could not solved in New York so the diplomats are trying to resolve it here," he said.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma has said that New Delhi was keen to see the issue resolved within the ambit of the IAEA.

Iran says its nuclear programme was intended to generate power to meet domestic energy demands, while the United States and the Western powers suspect that it was covertly trying to produce nuclear weapons. Current NAM Chairman Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said NAM would defend the basic right of all states of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Meanwhile, the Second Plenary Meeting began this morning with the continuation of the general debate. The Ministers will adopt the Draft of the Final Document by the Ministerial Meeting at the third Plenary Meeting later this afternoon.

The meeting is seen as a precursor to the forthcoming14th NAM summit in Havana, Cuba in September this year, when Cuba will take over the NAM chair.