Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda have been admitted as full members of the Non-Aligned Movement, taking the number of countries in the grouping to 116.
Dominica's head of delegation Crispin S Gregoire said the acceptance into NAM was a great honour for it.
"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 honour for our country," he said.
He said Dominica, the largest and most mountainous of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean archipelago, submitted its application a few months ago to Malaysia, the Chair of the NAM.
The matter was later discussed in New York and unanimously adopted and Monday's announcement was the formalisation of Dominica's entry as a full member of the grouping.
Gregoire said his country, a producer of bananas, faced many setbacks from the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
"In the current globalisation trend, not belonging to a group could be detrimental to your interest," he said.
Antigua and Barbuda also welcomed its acceptance into the grouping. The country is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, with a population of 69,000.
{{/usCountry}}Antigua and Barbuda also welcomed its acceptance into the grouping. The country is located between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, with a population of 69,000.
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