Belgrade marking 60 years of the Non-Aligned Movement; Vučić: "Welcome home" VIDEO

Belgrade marking 60 years of the Non-Aligned Movement; Vučić: "Welcome home" VIDEO

The first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement was held in the capital of the former Yugoslavia, which was one of the founders of that organization.

At the two-day gathering, Russia, which gained observer status in the Movement founded in the midst of the Cold War in July this year, will be among the non-aligned for the first time, as a counterweight to the opposing blocs led by the then USSR and the USA.

The first Non-Aligned Movement conference in Belgrade in September 1961 was attended by representatives of 25 countries, and was founded by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indonesian President Sukarno, Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah and Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito.

Conferences are held every three years in the country holding the presidency. Yugoslavia presided over the Movement from 1961 to 1964 and for the second time before the country's disintegration, from 1989 to 1992, when it was suspended from membership due to the war and the disintegration of the state.

In September 1989, Belgrade hosted the PNZ Summit, and numerous world leaders were hosted by the then President of the Presidency of the SFRY, Janez Drnovšek, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Budimir Lončar. Belgrade returned among the non-aligned, as an observer, after the democratic changes in 2001, after the country was admitted to the UN under the name FR Yugoslavia.

In September 2011, Belgrade marked the 50th anniversary of the first Non-Aligned Summit with a major ministerial conference. The gathering was attended by about 100 foreign delegations with about 600 delegates hosted by then-Serbian President Boris Tadic and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic.

Participation in this week's gathering, which is being held under strict security and epidemiological measures, has been confirmed by more than 100 foreign delegations, including about 40 foreign ministers, said Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic.

Ghana is represented by President Nana Akufo-Addo, and Algeria by Prime Minister Ayman Ben Abderrahman, while delegations from other participating countries are led by ministers. Announcing the gathering in Belgrade, Selakovic said that Serbia, although its strategic goal is EU membership, does not renounce traditional friends, stating that "they are not only Russia and China, but also members of the Non-Aligned Movement."

Selakovic said that the gathering on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Movement did not have a primarily political dimension, because no decisions or declarations would be made, but that it was "a way for everyone to show that they remember the 1961 Belgrade Conference with great care and pride."

With 120 member countries and 17 observers, the Non-Aligned Movement is the largest group of states after the United Nations. Observers include all former Yugoslav republics except Slovenia and North Macedonia, as well as Argentina, Brazil, China, Ukraine and Russia.

Vučić's address on the opening session: "Welcome home"

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, addressed the guests at the commemorative session on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement at the Belgrade Fair.

Earlier, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who opened the meeting, thanked Vučić for organizing the high-level meeting.

"Thank you, Mr. Aliyev, for your speech and for participating in the organization of this meeting... Welcome home," Vucic said during his address to those present, adding that peace, security and human rights are the most important for the prosperity of the people.

"I am convinced that Belgrade, as a symbol of crossroads and a meeting place of east and west, will encourage dialogue between the parties," Vucic explained in a speech to the guests.

"The future of equals is the direction in which this movement has moved. This is not just a question of the interests of the countries, but one of the important civilizational movements forward", Vucic explained in a speech to the guests.

Vučić explained that the world has changed significantly compared to 1961, when the Non-Aligned Movement was founded, but he stated that it is perhaps more important than before to work on the development of multilateral contacts.

"The most painful struggle is resolving the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and defending the country's territorial integrity. Despite the challenges, Serbia is committed to compromise to preserve security in the region. Dialogue has no alternative and international support is key. Serbia is honored to play the role it played", Vucic said.

"We are proud that as a military neutral country we are striving towards the EU, and at the same time we are strengthening the development of friendship for African and Asian countries. That is our treasure and our strength," said the President of Serbia.

During his speech, Vučić also referred to an old African proverb.

"If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to walk far, walk together," said Vucic, whose speech was accompanied by thunderous applause.