Mahama to attend 65th anniversary of Non-Aligned Movement in Serbia — Ablakwa

President John Dramani Mahama has been invited by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to attend the 65th anniversary celebration of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Belgrade, Serbia.

The summit is scheduled for August 31 to September 1, with President Mahama expected to participate as a special guest of honour.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the invitation is linked to Ghana’s historic role in the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement through its founder, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

“The Serbian President, His Excellency Aleksandar Vučić has extended a special invitation to President John Mahama to attend the 65th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia from the 31st of August to the 1st of September, 2026,” Ablakwa wrote in a social media post on Friday, August 28.

The Minister said he held a meeting with Serbia’s Ambassador to Ghana, Milutin Stanojević, to discuss preparations for the anniversary summit.

He said President Mahama would serve as the special guest of honour largely because of Ghana’s contribution to the establishment of the movement.

The Non-Aligned Movement was formally established in Belgrade on September 1, 1961, in what was then Yugoslavia.

Its founding leaders included Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Indonesian President Sukarno.

Ablakwa, who also serves as the North Tongu MP said the principles that guided the movement remains relevant amid current global challenges.

“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.