Question

The First Summit Meeting of the Nonaligned countries at Belgrade (1961) finalised the criterion for nonalignment. Find out these criteria.

Answer 1

The First Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement at Belgrade in 1961 laid down the following broad criteria for identifying a non-aligned country:

1. The country should follow an independent foreign policy based on peaceful coexistence and non-alignment.
2. It should consistently support national independence and liberation movements.
3. It should not be a member of a multilateral military alliance connected with conflicts between the major powers.
4. If it had a bilateral military agreement with a major power, the agreement should not have been concluded in the context of great-power conflicts.
5. If it had allowed a foreign power to establish a military base on its territory, the arrangement should not have been made in connection with conflicts between the major powers.

These criteria reflected the basic idea that non-aligned countries should maintain independence in foreign policy and remain outside rival power blocs. The first NAM Summit was held at Belgrade in 1961 with 25 founding countries.