MINSK, March 22 (RIA Novosti) - The president of Belarus has been invited to attend a summit of one of the world's largest movements seeking to promote national independence and oppose colonialism and imperialism, the Belarusian foreign minister said Wednesday.
Sergei Martynov said the invitation to newly reelected leader Alexander Lukashenko to attend a Havana summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which unites 100 nations, had been extended by a deputy foreign minister of Cuba.
"Belarus attaches great significance to its participation in the Non-Aligned Movement," Martynov said. "We closely cooperate with all members of this movement, including with Cuba."
The NAM was established in 1961 and held its last summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2003. Malaysia currently chairs the movement, but will hand the post to Cuba in time for the island to preside over a summit in September.
Former collective farm boss Lukashenko, who Washington has dubbed "Europe's last dictator", was reelected to his third presidential term on Sunday with 82.6% of the vote.
