Belgrade Hosts High-Level NAM Gathering Marking 65 Years

New Delhi, Aug 29 – A high‑level commemorative meeting of the Non‑Aligned Movement will be held in Belgrade from Aug 31 to Sep 1, marking 65 years since the first summit of NAM heads of state. Senior minister Kiren Rijiju will chair the Indian delegation.

The Ministry of External Affairs announced that the summit’s theme, “The Legacy of Non‑Alignment: Lessons for Today’s World,” will explore how the movement’s original tenets—respect for sovereignty, peaceful coexistence and opposition to external interference—remain pertinent.

India, one of NAM’s founding members, reiterated its dedication to the platform that now gathers 121 developing countries to promote multilateral dialogue and bolster the Global South’s influence within the United Nations.

NAM’s lineage began with the 1955 Bandung Conference, leading to the formal establishment of the movement at Belgrade in 1961. The current dialogue will connect that historic legacy to current issues, including terrorism, economic development and climate action.

At the 19th NAM interim ministerial conference in Kampala (Oct 2025), External Affairs Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh called for stronger worldwide cooperation against transnational terrorism, citing the tragic April 22, 2025 incident in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of innocent tourists.