President Mahama arrives in Belgrade for 65th Non-Aligned Movement Summit

President John Dramani Mahama has journeyed to Belgrade to participate in the 65th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, commemorating the movement's establishment in 1961. Ghana, as a founding member of the NAM, underscores the nation's significant historical contribution to the organization. The summit, titled "The Legacy of Non-Alignment: Lessons for Today’s World," seeks to reinforce the core principles of the NAM: sovereign equality among nations, respect for territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, and strengthened economic cooperation among developing countries.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is hosting the summit, with over 30 leaders from diverse regions convening, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The Non-Aligned Movement currently comprises 120 member states, making it the largest international grouping outside the United Nations. The movement originated during the Cold War to provide developing nations with an independent diplomatic route, enabling them to maintain neutrality and avoid alignment with either the capitalist Western bloc or the socialist Soviet bloc.

Notable founding members include Ghana's first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, alongside Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito, India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Indonesia’s Sukarno.