Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said Monday that current global and political problems highlight the need for unity among the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries.

He made the remarks when he officially inaugurated the 14th Summit of Non-Aligned Nations with the opening of the high-ranking plenary session at the International Convention Center.

"We can affirm that the movement is more important than ever", and it is necessary for a forum "to listen to our most pressing problems" and have "our voices heard in today's world," Perez Roque said.

Cuba is hosting the summit of the NAM, a 116-member organization made up of mostly developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The most important issues to be discussed at the summit are the Middle East crisis and Iran, Perez Roque said.

Roque said the Third World must defend their rights. "We must show the world our strength" in the world context.

The summit, which will gather more than 50 heads of state and government, will run until Saturday.

Source: Xinhua