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1988 Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference

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1988 Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference
Host country Cyprus
DateSeptember 1988
CitiesNicosia
ChairGeorge Vassiliou
(President of Cyprus)

1988 Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference was held in Nicosia, capital of Cyprus in September 1988. 92 foreign ministers participating in the conference discussed United States and the Soviet Union rapprochement, South Africa's occupation of Namibia and Israel's occupation of Palestine, threats against Nicaragua, apartheid and the solution of the conflict in South-West Africa.[1] During the conference, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was unanimously selected as a host of the 9th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, making the country the first one to host the event for the second time after the 1961 Summit.[2][1] While the Federal Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia led by Budimir Lončar was excited, the Presidency of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav collective head of state, was sceptical about the prospects of hosting the event but ultimately supported by Josip Vrhovec.[3] Some other countries considered hosting the 9th summit, including Kuwait, Argentina, Peru, Cyprus and Nicaragua.[3] Nicaraguan candidacy was opposed by Yugoslavia due to perceived radicalism and de facto alignment of the country, while Cypriot informal candidacy while attractive, was perceived as impractical as the country had only 4 embassies in NAM member states.[3]

The Foreign Ministers Conference in Nicosia welcomed the United Nations efforts at resolution of the Cyprus dispute and demanded the immediate withdrawal of all occupation forces and settlers and welcomed the proposal for demilitarization of the island.[4] The final document of the conference was described as more balanced and thoughtful compared to the final declaration of the 1986 Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe.[5] Minister of Foreign Affairs of West Germany Hans-Dietrich Genscher, politician with predominantly positive attitude towards NAM, welcomed Indian and Yugoslav proposals for modernisation of the movement stating that it should "not be permitted to turn into an association of anticolonial struggle veterans".[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Foreign ministers of the non-aligned group of nations early..." United Press International. 11 September 1988. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Yugoslavia Reported to be Next Non-aligned Chairman". The Associated Press. 10 September 1988. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Jakovina, Tvrtko (2020). Budimir Lončar: Od Preka do vrha svijeta [Budimir Lončar: From Preko to the top of the World] (in Croatian). Zaprešić, Croatia: Fraktura. p. 292. ISBN 978-953358239-9.
  4. ^ "Conference's Emblem, Non-Aligned Movement Foreign Ministers' Conference Issue, Republic of Cyprus". Apsida, Cyprus University of Technology. n.d. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  5. ^ Morphet, Sally (2004). "REVIEW ESSAY: Multilateralism and the Non-Aligned Movement: What Is the Global South Doing and Where Is It Going?". Global Governance. 10 (4). Brill Publishers.

See also

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