Abelardo Moreno, Cuba's vice minister of Foreign Affairs, said a primary goal of the summit is to re-energize the non-aligned movement and spur the 116-member group into a more "pro-active" role on the world stage.

"The non-aligned movement should not respond just to the initiatives of others but also should have its own initiatives, its own ideas," Moreno told reporters last week.

Although a founding member of the movement in 1961, Cuba has hosted the meeting only once before, in 1979. But the glow from that gathering dissipated several months later after Cuba refused to condemn the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a fellow non-aligned nation.

This year, impoverished Cuba is going all out to put on a good face for visiting dignitaries.

On Friday, government work crews rushed to complete the beautification of roads leading from major hotels to the conference site. Scores of buildings have received a fresh coat of paint and park benches have been scrubbed clean.

"People are saying they wish there was a summit every year," one Havana resident, jokingly said, referring to the city's face-lift.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan is expected to attend the gathering, but the United States turned down an invitation to attend as an observer nation because it does not have full diplomatic relations with Cuba.

It's also unclear whether Castro, who is recovering from intestinal surgery, is strong enough to host the summit or will defer to his younger brother, Raul, Cuba's acting president and defense minister.

One of the two Castro brothers is expected to give Cuba's inaugural address next Friday, when the heads of state gather for the summit's final two days.

Despite Fidel Castro's illness, analysts say the summit couldn't come at a better time for Cuba, whose economy has strengthened thanks largely to massive assistance from Venezuela.

Castro's warnings through the decades about the evils of capitalism and U.S. imperialism also have captured a wider audience in recent years due to persistent global poverty and perceived American unilateralism.

"He worked so many years in the wilderness and now his ideas are in high fashion," said Birns.

Rhetoric aside, analysts expect a number of crucial issues to be discussed at the gathering.

Iran is expected to lobby delegates for support as it faces possible U.N. sanctions for its nuclear program.

Chavez also is expected to rally nations behind Venezuela's candidacy for a vacant seat on the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. vote is set for October.

The United States is promoting the rival candidacy of Guatemala, also a member of the non-aligned movement.