Belgrade 1961: When the World Listened, and Diplomats Danced

At a time when nations face choices between loyalty and survival, the ideas of non-alignment are not a relic – they are a beacon.

Written by Marko Djuric, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, for Politika

Imagine Belgrade in September 1961: a city alive not only with the bustle of everyday life but also with the energy of a historic moment. In halls adorned with optimism, under lights that illuminated a new era, the first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement was held. From 1 to 6 September, Yugoslavia – a small country with big dreams – became a stage where the world gathered not to take sides, but to proclaim the right to its own voice. It was more than a summit – it was a diplomatic dance, choreographed with the precision of ballet and the daring of jazz.

The Non-Aligned Movement was not just a political agenda, but a lyrical act of defiance. In a world stretched between Washington and Moscow, where the Cold War threatened to freeze every hope, Josip Broz Tito, together with visionaries such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Sukarno, and Kwame Nkrumah, launched a revolution of ideas. Their mantra? No East, no West – only sovereignty, only freedom. In those days, Belgrade was more than a city; it was a crossroads of the world, where the dreams of newly liberated nations from Africa, Asia, and Latin America converged.

Organizing this gathering was an achievement that would inspire admiration even today. Yugoslav diplomacy, led by virtuosos such as Koca Popovic – whose words were sharp as a scalpel and whose mind was calm as a chess player in the endgame – performed a miracle. Marko Nikezic, with his understated charm and strategic mind, and Leo Mates, a master negotiator who knew that every sentence carried the weight of history, were at the heart of the operation. Veljko Micunovic, a man able to walk the tightrope between East and West, and Vladimir Popovic, who turned logistical nightmares into flawless symphonies, completed the team. They didn’t just organize a summit – they wove a tapestry of 25 nations, each with its own rhythm, yet moving in perfect harmony.

Belgrade 1961 was not only a political event, but a call to action – a reminder that diplomats are not merely scribes of treaties, but poets of the future. As leaders shook hands and delegations exchanged smiles and ideas, Yugoslavia showed that a small country can cast a long shadow – not through force, but through the power of vision. Those days proved that bridges are built through dialogue, not concrete.

But what does Belgrade 1961 tell us today, in 2025, as the world once again crackles with tension, wars, and new forms of imperialism? At a time when nations face choices between loyalty and survival, the ideas of non-alignment are not just a memory – they are a beacon. Non-alignment today does not mean refusing to take a side; it means refusing to remain silent. In a polarized world, where climate crises, economic inequalities, and armed conflicts threaten to divide us, the spirit of the Non-Aligned Movement reminds us that dialogue is a weapon stronger than any missile. Small countries, like Serbia, can still play a major role – not by bowing down, but by speaking the truth, building alliances, and insisting on fairness.

Serbia, as the heir to that Belgrade moment, carries the torch of non-alignment with pride. Let this tribute be a reminder of Tito, Popovic, Nikezic, Mates, Micunovic, and all those who in 1961 showed that diplomacy is not just the art of the possible – but the art of the impossible. As the world still searches for balance, Belgrade 1961 teaches us that the true dance begins when we dare to step beyond the prescribed steps.