MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Koffi pays tribute to Fidel

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan paid tribute to Fidel Castro for his global leadership and called on developing nations yesterday to accept new responsibilities at home and around the world.

Castro, 80, was too ill to preside over the Nonaligned Movement's summit, leaving it to acting president Raúl Castro, his 75-year-old brother and defence minister, to accept Cuba's three-year chairmanship of the group representing two thirds of the world's countries.

But pictures of Annan visiting the ailing Cuban leader were displayed prominently in Cuban state media yesterday, and the UN leader thanked him for ??his enormous contributions and leadership role.''

??The collective mission of this movement is more relevant than ever,'' Annan said, noting that the world was divided by US and Soviet superpowers when Fidel Castro last hosted the movement in 1979.

Trade among developing nations has grown twice as fast as world trade, he said, creating new opportunities and responsibilities: Developing nations must now give equal attention to ??the three fundamental pillars of development, security and human rights.''

He urged the assembled leaders to fight extreme policy, unemployment and AIDS at home, while also working for peace in the Middle East.