Egypt hosts 'non-aligned' chiefs !

Many heads of state are attending the NAM summit in Sharm el-Sheikh

Heads of state from more than 50 countries are attending meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement, in Egypt.

The gathering, in the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, is discussing responses to the global financial crisis and a variety of regional issues.

The Pakistani and Indian prime ministers are also expected to meet to discuss possible new peace talks.

Relations were badly strained by the militant attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai last year.

Pakistani and Indian officials have already met in advance of the planned talks on Thursday between the two prime ministers, Yousef Raza Galani and Manmohan Singh.

The attacks in Mumbai last November left more than 160 people dead, and were blamed by India on Pakistan-based fighters of the banned militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Pakistan has admitted the attacks were partly planned on its soil.

The Non-Aligned Movement was born during the Cold War in 1961, aiming to unite countries which officially expressed the wish not to be allied either with the US-led western bloc or the Soviet-dominated eastern bloc.

It now has 118 member states, with 15 observer states, representing two-thirds of the members of the United Nations and half of the world's population.

But correspondents say it has struggled to find a role since the collapse of the Soviet bloc two decades ago.

BBC NEWS REPORT.