Speaking on behalf of that region at the 18th Ministerial Conference of that group, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister, Abelardo Moreno, stated that essential pillars of those actions to guarantee international peace and security are the trust among nations and the respect for sovereignty and independence.

Moreno, leading the Cuban delegation to this meeting, recalled that these principles were understood and reflected in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Proclamation of that region as a peace zone, a commitment signed in Havana in January 2014, during the CELAC Summit.

After expressing gratitude to the Azerbaijan people and government for the welcome to the delegates to this meeting in Baku, the diplomat assessed the current international situation as complex and brings with it new dangers and threats that directly affect the global stability and the preservation of peace, he said.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, denounced during the opening session of the 18th NAM Ministerial Conference some unilateral coercive measures and intervention and violent plans that threaten stability and democracy in his country, supported by the United States.

Attendees at the opening ceremony of the 18th Conference received the greetings by President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who announced some details of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of NAM in 2019, when the Caucasian nation will assume the pro tempore presidency of the Third World Forum until 2022.

The Baku meeting will conclude tomorrow with the approval of a final document drawn up by senior officials in two days of deliberations.

Comprised of 120 member nations, along with 17 states and 10 international organizations with observer status, NAM has been playing an important role in maintaining international peace and security.