11 October 2021 he Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic

11 October 2021 he Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dacic

Monday, 11 October 2021

National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic Addresses Guests at 60th Anniversary of Non-Aligned Movement Founding Conference Gala

National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic addressed the guests of the gala dinner in the National Assembly marking of the Founding Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.


THE FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA IN ITS ENTIRETY:

"Dear Heads of Delegations,
Your Excellencies,
Dear friends,

Welcome to the birthplace of the Non-Aligned Movement. Exactly 60 years ago, the great leaders of the time gathered here, in this building in Belgrade, to carry the voice of their peoples that they do not want to participate in the race of two angry rivals that led to destruction, but to build a world founded on justice, equality and peace.

It was the voice of free people, one that had not been heard often enough before then. It was the voice of brave peoples and their leaders who had a vision of a different world, in which everyone would be equal, with equal chances for the future. The founding conference of the Non-Aligned Movement was the day when the world got its voice of reason.

Today, we remember with great respect the great visionaries - Josip Broz Tito, Jawaharlal Nehru, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Kwame Nkrumah and all the other leaders who decided to offer a sacred alternative, to offer the path that most of humanity followed from Belgrade. And that is the path of peace, cooperation, humanity and building a just world.

The pursuit of peace, freedom and equality are universal values that we must protect and fight for with the same zeal as our founders did six decades ago.

In the past 60 years, we have all changed and that is normal. The country whose guests you are today has also changed from the one in which the Non-Aligned Movement was founded. It used to be Yugoslavia, and today it is Serbia. But that is less important. It is much more important that Belgrade is still a place that is proud of the fact that in its rich history it was also a city where one of the greatest peace decisions in world history was made. Belgrade and Serbia are proud of this legacy and that is why organising this conference in memory of the founding summit 60 years ago was duty as well as our message that we are committed to the ideas of the Non-Aligned Movement more than ever - peace, justice, equality and cooperation among the people of the world.

I know that you, our very dear guests share the same view of the world, and that unites us again and makes us strong. Now, 60 years on, we can readily say that the Non-Aligned Movement was not just the result of the Cold War and the bloc divisions of the time. Its longevity confirms that it is an organisation based on universal and lasting values. These are also the values which it deeply believes in and which the policy of my country, Serbia, is based on.

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and today as the Head of Parliament, I was especially in favour of Serbia renewing ties with its friends from the Non-Aligned Movement, because those ties have weakened over time for no reason. I have been a guest of many of your governments, and in Belgrade I have welcomed high delegations from your countries. I sincerely want us to get to know each other even better, and to continue the tradition of friendship and cooperation established by our great predecessors - right here in Belgrade six decades ago.

We have a rich tradition behind us, we are not unknown to each other, we have common goals and visions, and we have a lot of energy to continue to work together and make the world better and fairer.

And that is why our gathering in Belgrade, in memory of the grand founding conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, is a great confirmation for me that we will continue on that path. I wish you the warmest welcome, feel at home in Serbia, your friend, and stay true to the ideals and values we gathered around 60 years ago, which are still a guide to building a peaceful and equal world.

Good luck! ”



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thursday, 28 march
  • 9.00 - consultations of representatives of the parliamentary groups about the election of deputy chairpersons of the National Assembly working bodies (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, hall 1)

  • 10.00 - visit of the students of Stevan Dukic Elementary School to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - visit of the students of Drinka Pavlovic Elementary School Student Parliament to the National Assembly House (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square)

  • 11.00 - press conference of the Green-Left Front – Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)оwn Parliamentary Group (National Assembly House 13, Nikola Pasic Square. Central Hall)

  • 13.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

Full event calendar