KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)on Monday accepted two new members, Dominica as well as Antigua and Barbuda, thus bringing its total membership to 116.

    Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar made the announcement at the NAM Coordinating Bureau (NAM-CoB) Ministerial Meeting in the administrative center of Putrajaya.

    Dominica's head of delegation Crispin S. Gregoire said Dominicahas been an NAM observer for many years and feels honored to join the NAM.

    "Even though we are only a small country, we have been in the United Nations since 1978, after our independence from Great Britain. Today, we join the world community, the committee of developing nations, which is a great honor for our country," Gregoire told the Bernama news agency.

    Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations John W. Ashe expressed his country's appreciation for the NAM's decision.

    Dominica is an island state in the Caribbean archipelago while Antigua and Barbuda is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Enditem