President John Dramani Mahama is expected to attend the 65th anniversary commemoration of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade, Serbia, as a guest of honour, underscoring Ghana’s historic role in the movement and its continued commitment to its founding principles.
President Mahama is scheduled to undertake a two-day visit to Belgrade from August 31 to September 1, 2026, at the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The high-level commemorative meeting will mark the 65th anniversary of the First Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, which was held in Belgrade in 1961.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed the planned visit after meeting Serbia’s Ambassador to Ghana, Milutin Stanojević, at the Ministry, where they discussed preparations for the commemorative event.
President Mahama’s invitation reflects Ghana’s historic contribution to the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement. Ghana was among the 25 countries that participated in the first NAM summit in Belgrade in 1961, alongside founding figures including Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah. The movement emerged from efforts by newly independent and developing countries to maintain an independent foreign policy and avoid alignment with either of the two major military-political blocs during the Cold War.
The Non-Aligned Movement traces its intellectual roots to the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia, where Asian and African countries advanced principles centred on sovereignty, peaceful coexistence, non-interference and opposition to colonialism. Six years later, the first NAM summit formally established the movement in Belgrade. Today, NAM continues to advocate for multilateralism and the interests of developing countries, particularly within the United Nations system.
Ablakwa stressed that the principles that guided the movement at its founding remain relevant amid the changing global order, particularly as developing countries confront the consequences of unilateral actions by more powerful states.
“65 years on, the foundational ideals of the NAM are ever so relevant. The principles of respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; non-aggression; non-interference in domestic affairs; equality; nuclear disarmament and peaceful co-existence are much needed in today’s world,” he stated.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to the principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, including respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, non-interference in the domestic affairs of states and peaceful coexistence.
President Mahama’s participation also builds on recent high-level engagement between Ghana and Serbia. In July 2025, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić met President Mahama in Accra and conveyed President Vučić’s invitation for the Ghanaian leader to visit Serbia. The two countries subsequently held bilateral political consultations in Belgrade in July 2026, where they reaffirmed their traditionally friendly relations and commitment to strengthening political and economic cooperation.
Ghana also has a recent connection to the commemoration of the movement in Belgrade. Ghanaian representatives participated in the 60th anniversary gathering of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Belgrade in 2021.
The forthcoming commemoration is expected to provide an opportunity for participating countries to reflect on the movement’s historical contribution to decolonisation, sovereignty and international peace, while considering the relevance of its principles to contemporary global challenges.
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