Dialogue key to ending Syrian crisis, FM will tell Non-Aligned Movement

Thailand will today (Friday) tell leaders at the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that the Syrian crisis can be solved through dialogue.

The 18-month-old Syrian crisis is one of the hot topics at the summit of the 120-member NAM. Iran, as the body’s current chair, is playing the role of peacemaker in attempts to end the bloody conflict.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in Iran for the summit since Wednesday, discussed the Syrian crisis with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He urged Iran to use its influence to call on Syrian leaders to end the violence and create conditions for dialogue and a political solution.

Iran proposed that a "troika" take on the Syrian problem – previous NAM chair Egypt, current chair Iran and the next chair Venezuela.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul, who will speak to the summit on behalf of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, will say that sustainable peace can only be achieved through dialogue.

"We express our sincere and steadfast hope that the people of Syria will be able to resolve their current struggles through an inclusive process so that peace can be returned to the country," he states in his written speech.

Differences, disagreements and disputes are part of human nature, he says. As such, they can even occur within and between countries that have otherwise enjoyed longstanding friendship and cooperation.

"Thailand is convinced that dialogue can eliminate misunderstandings and prejudices," the speech reads. On the Palestine issue, Surapong will inform the summit that Thailand has established diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine.

"We fully support the ‘Two State Solution’, which envisages an independent Palestinian state co-existing peacefully with the State of Israel," his speech says.

Surapong will also suggest His Majesty the King’s philosophy of "sufficiency economy" as a solution for peace and a better life for people.

The philosophy emphasises moderation, living within one’s means and responsible consumption to provide the necessary resilience to external shocks.

This has contributed to Thailand’s resilient economy and quick recovery from past political crises, global economic setbacks as well as last year’s devastating floods, Surapong’s speech says.

Thailand is ready to share its expertise and best practices in various areas of technical cooperation and capacity building in the South-South framework, which would complement North-South cooperation, Surapong’s speech reads.