On behalf of the Cuban people and Government, allow me to convey our appreciation to the Secretary-General’s Office of the Arab League and to all of you for reacting positively to the request to address Your Excellencies in this Summit.

Cuba reaffirms its unwavering solidarity towards the just Arab causes and, in particular, its steadfast support for the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people in order to attain its inalienable right to self-determination, to the establishment of its independent and sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to the unconditional return of all Arab territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, as prerequisites for the attainment of just and lasting peace for all the peoples in the Middle East.

Excellencies:

In the year in which we will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the foundation of the Non-Aligned Movement, Cuba will be honored to host its XIV Summit Conference and take over the Chair of a forum that today is as necessary and relevant as it was at the time of its inception, despite the years that have gone by and the changes that the world has witnessed.

On behalf of the Cuban people and Government and of our President, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, I hereby convey the invitation to attend the XIV Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Havana – and I can assure you that we will do our utmost so that the Movement comes out of this meeting with a stronger position to cope with the major challenges ahead of us.

The current international situation, far from what the new century could have ushered in, brings about challenges that are increasingly critical to the future of the non-aligned countries. The threats hovering over us, far from dwindling, are becoming increasingly obvious and harsh.

If 45 years ago, when the Cold War polarized a sizable portion of Humankind into two antagonistic blocs, it became necessary and possible to enhance the concept of non-alignment, today’s unipolarism and hegemonic designs in international relations, as well as the attempts to increasingly marginalize the Third World, compel the countries of the South to strengthen their unity, their solidarity and their cohesion with a view to exerting effective influence on international affairs.

That inescapable necessity of coming together and appearing on the increasingly complex international scene in a cohesive and coordinated manner underpins the relevance of relying on a mechanism that enables us to harmonize positions with swiftness and dynamism – and that is, precisely, the Non-Aligned Movement.

We understand that our Movement is diverse, that common positions cannot always be reached and that sometimes the differences among countries and regions work against the essential unity. But Cuba is willing to work, with your assistance, so that we can enhance everything that brings us together.

The economic and political order imposed by the powerful on the world is not only profoundly unjust, but also unsustainable. Globalization, under neoliberal patterns, has served to advance new designs of conquest and domination against our peoples, which are increasingly coping with colossal challenges to fully exercise their inalienable right to self-determination. Economic independence and the sovereignty over the utilization of our natural resources – which was a demand of our peoples for decades – has become a dream, whose realization moves farther away for many on a daily basis.

In today’s world, there are some who intend to legitimize the concept of limited sovereignty, expand the powers of supranational and coercive mechanisms and enshrine the right to pre-emptive war and intervention in blatant violation of the principles of the UN Charter and International Law. An attempt is made for our countries to adopt, without calling anything into question, a code of values that is unilaterally in favor of the major centers of power and which, more often than not, leaves our history aside, as well as our idiosyncrasy, our culture and the religions that our peoples have decided to practice in a sovereign fashion. You, the Arab countries, have more than once fallen prey to the attempts, still present, to disregard your values, which have a universal scope, and ignore your right to self-determination and sovereignty.

The masterminders of confrontation and war, having lost their rivals in the East, are now creating ghosts and fabricating enemies in the Southern end of the planet, forcing our countries into a permanent state of vulnerability and risk.

The peoples of the South, accounting for the overwhelming majority of the world population, are still swept away by the scourge of impoverishment, which has a tendency to grow despite the efforts to eradicate it. Malnutrition, infant mortality rate, death of preventable and curable diseases, as well as famine, jeopardizes our own survival. Never before was the world so unequal and inequality so dire.

This is not a biased or apocalyptic vision of our reality. These are reasons that reveal the urgent need to maintain a united front in defending the right of the peoples to self-determination and independence, to sovereignty and territorial integrity, without any interference whatsoever in their internal affairs; in defending the right to peace and development. Today, as never before, the united and solidarity-based action of the South should prevail in struggling for the democratization of international relations and the reshaping of the international economic and financial system.

These are the strong reasons that must drive our efforts to enhance and revitalize the work of the Non-Aligned Movement. In this spirit, Cuba attaches the utmost importance to the forthcoming Summit of the Movement, to be held in Havana next 11-16 September, in the week prior to the high-level debate of the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly. To that aim, we attach the utmost importance to the presence of all Arab countries at the Havana Summit at the highest level possible.

The Cuban people and Government will redouble their efforts and will adopt all the necessary measures, both at the political and at the organizational levels, in order to ensure that all our brothers and sisters of the non-aligned countries receive the hospitality and solidarity inherent in the Cubans.

At a point in time in which we have witnessed clear manifestations of disrespect and intolerance towards Islam and towards the Arab peoples, Cuba strongly condemns such acts. Only through sincere dialogue among nations and civilizations, among cultures that are richly diverse, will we be able to preserve the human species and bequeath a better world to the future generations.

Throughout 47 years, Cuba has expressed its unconditional solidarity towards the Arab countries – and we have received the support and countless indications of encouragement from their peoples and governments in our epic struggle to preserve our independence and endure the unjust and ruthless economic blockade imposed on us. The Arab countries and the Arab League will always be able to count on the sincere and selfless assistance of the Cuba people.

Finally, Cuba expresses the best votes to the friendly Republic of the Sudan, the host country of the XVIII Arab Summit and to the League of Arab States for the success of the works and deliberations of this historical meeting.

Thank you very much.