UN Secretary-General Ban has said the Alliance of Civilizations project is an important challenge to the extremism threatening the world.

Ban Ki-moon made the remark at the inauguration of the first annual Civilizations Forum in the Spanish capital Madrid on Tuesday.

"Never in our lifetime has there been a more desperate need for constructive and committed dialogue, among individuals, among communities, among cultures, among and between nations," he said.

"Fostering dialogue will not produce changes overnight," said Ban. "It is not the fast way. But it is the sure way."

Some 350 delegates, including government members, representatives of international organizations and civil societies participated in the two-day forum.

The alliance, which was launched by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in 2004, seeks to boost dialogue in an attempt to reduce prejudice and misunderstandings especially between the West and the Muslim world.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ali Baqeri arrived in Madrid at the head of a delegation on Monday to attend the forum.

HRF/BGH