CUBA: Heads of State of non-aligned nations continued their summit in Havana

World leaders gathered in Cuba on Friday (September 15) for a summit of non-aligned nations amid hopes of a renewal of the movement, seen by some as a relic of the Cold War. As leaders converged on the summit venue they were greeted by a honour guard and Cuban Vice President Raul Castro who is standing in for ailing President Fidel Castro. To some, the summit could appear a rogue's gallery of assorted U.S. foes including Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and leaders from North Korea, Zimbabwe, Venezuela and Bolivia all gathering on an island under U.S. sanctions since 1960. But the summit also includes countries such as Pakistan, India, the Philippines and Indonesia that have forged closer alliances with the U.S. since the Sept. 11 attacks. In a speech declaring the summit open, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said Cuban leader Fidel Castro was recovering but was still too ill to chair the summit - meaning a much anticipated public appearance at the meeting is unlikely. "Despite the rigour and will he shows in his treatment and physical therapy, his doctors have insisted that he continue his recovery. As Fidel has publicly stated, he is following strictly the instructions of the doctors, and for this he cannot be part of the Cuban delegation at this summit," said Perez Roque. Standing in for President Castro, his brother Raul denounced the U.S. for its support of Israel and defended the right of Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear programme. "We defend the rights of our countries to use nuclear energy for peaceful means, we demand the complete disarmament of nuclear weapons, we reject the dangerous doctrine of the United States, to use nuclear weapons pre-emptively, including against countries who do not posses them, or against alleged terrorist groups, we denounce the hypocrisy of the government of the United States who support Israel in their expansion of their nuclear arsenal and threaten Iran who want to use peacefully nuclear energy," said Raul. Raul urged the NAM nations to pull together to demand a fairer world order. The conference's final document is still under negotiation, but it's expected to include sharp criticism of Israel over its recent war in Lebanon and a separate document supporting Iran's right to pursue nuclear energy. Anti-U.S. rhetoric is also likely from nations like Iran and Venezuela - keen to criticise the U.S. role as global policeman. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also addressed the opening session ahead of a speech later in the day. "Mr Chairman, distinguished guests, as the most populous and largest continent in the world, home to a diversity of cultures, Asia has always promoted a peaceful co-existence and a constructive dialogue among different peoples, our continent also has a large capacity of human and economic development. Our continent has also been an important factor in pursuing and realising the objectives of our movement," said Ahmadinejad. The non-aligned movement, established by states to assert independence from Washington and Moscow during the Cold War, now includes 116 nations and a wide range of agendas. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez demanded a more equal world order. "The South, us, we exist and we want to exist equally like the North, not subordinate to the North, we deserve respect and dignity, only with a South equal to the North, is such a world possible," said Chavez. United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, echoed the theme. "The collective mission of this movement is more relevant than ever. Today there is a growing and disturbing gulf between the world's poorest and richest countries. This needs to be addressed decisively through new forms of international governance that will decrease disparities and help lift developing countries out of poverty," said Annan.

ITN Source | September 17, 2006

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