President Mohamud Joins Belgrade Meeting Marking 65 Years of Non-Aligned Movement

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BELGRADE: President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has arrived in Belgrade to lead Somalia’s delegation to a high-level meeting commemorating the 65th anniversary of the first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, an event that returns the gathering to the city where the movement was founded in 1961.

The two-day meeting brings together senior representatives from countries that formed the movement’s historic core, as well as members of the current NAM Troika, to reflect on the movement’s legacy and its relevance in a world marked by growing geopolitical tensions and challenges to international cooperation.

The Non-Aligned Movement emerged during the Cold War as newly independent countries in Africa and Asia sought an independent foreign policy rather than alignment with either of the world’s two major blocs. Its founding principles centred on sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful coexistence, equality among states and respect for international law.

Somalia has increasingly emphasised sovereignty and territorial integrity in its diplomacy, making the Belgrade forum an opportunity to engage with a broad group of countries that traditionally support those principles.

President Mohamud is expected to outline Somalia’s positions during the meeting and hold bilateral talks with other leaders, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Somalia and Serbia have been seeking to deepen relations rooted in their historic links through the Non-Aligned Movement, with both governments discussing closer cooperation earlier this year.

Belgrade itself carries special symbolism. The first NAM conference was held there on Sept. 1, 1961, making the 2026 gathering a return to the movement’s birthplace 65 years later. Serbia says the meeting will also reaffirm commitment to the UN Charter, international law and multilateralism in confronting contemporary global challenges.

Somalia’s participation at the level of head of state therefore gives the visit both diplomatic and historical significance, providing President Mohamud with a platform to strengthen bilateral relationships while reinforcing the principles that have become central to Somalia’s foreign policy.