Belgrade meeting marks 65th anniversary of Non-Aligned Movement

BELGRADE, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- High-level representatives from across the Global South gathered in Belgrade on Tuesday to mark the 65th anniversary of the first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), reaffirming support for multilateralism, sovereign equality and respect for international law amid heightened global tensions.

The commemorative meeting at the Palace of Serbia brought together more than 30 delegations, including representatives of the movement's current leadership Troika -- Azerbaijan, Uganda and Uzbekistan -- as well as countries with longstanding ties to NAM.

The meeting opened with addresses by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Ugandan Vice President Jessica Alupo, who spoke on behalf of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, as Uganda currently chairs NAM.

Vucic described NAM as an important pillar of multilateralism and warned against what he described as selective approaches to international law.

Delivering Museveni's address, Alupo said the movement emerged in responseto the rigid ideological divisions and polarization of the Cold War and stressed the continuing importance of independent and balanced international cooperation.

She described NAM as "the correct response by sections of the people of the world to the narrow-mindedness that had emerged."

Several representatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America also emphasized themes of strategic autonomy and stronger cooperation among countries of the Global South.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama called for "positive neutrality" and proactive diplomatic engagement, urging Global South countries to translate their collective weight into concrete diplomatic results rather than align with competing power blocs.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud highlighted South-South cooperation and multilateralism in addressing transnational challenges, including terrorism and climate vulnerability.

Other participants included Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio, Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa, Indian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Cuban First Deputy Foreign Minister Gerardo Penalver Portal.

The meeting came 65 years after the first NAM conference, held in Belgrade from Sept. 1 to 6, 1961, which brought together leaders of countries seeking to remain independent of the rival blocs of the Cold War.

Serbia, which is not a member of NAM but has observer status, has sought to preserve the diplomatic legacy of the 1961 conference and maintains relations with Global South countries. Enditem