As special envoy of PM Modi, MoS Lekhi to visit Serbia to attend 60th anniversary of NAM
Oct 09, 2021
New Delhi [India], October 10 : Union Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday said that she will pay an official visit to Serbia from October 10-13.
Lekhi will attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Serbia, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"I will pay an official visit to Serbia from 10-13 October 2021, as the Special Envoy of Prime Minister to attend the High-level Commemorative Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement," the Union Minister tweeted.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, Lekhi is likely to attend the Meeting of Women Heads of Delegations and Ministers of Foreign Affairs being hosted by the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly at the UN House in Belgrade.
The 60th Anniversary of the NAM Commemorative Meeting is being jointly co-hosted by Alexsander Vucic who is the President of Serbia and NAM Chair President Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
During the visit, MoS will also hold bilateral discussions with Branislav Nedimovic who is the Deputy PM and Minister of Agriculture, Nebojsa Stefanovic, Deputy PM and Minister of Defence, Maja Gojkovic, Deputy PM and Minister of Culture and Information, and Tatjana Matic, who is the Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, the statement said.
The first NAM Conference was held in Belgrade in 1961 and it provides an opportunity to reflect on how the Movement can respond to complex global challenges more effectively, guided by its founding principles of mutual respect, solidarity and cooperation.
India and Serbia historically enjoy close and friendly relations. A bilateral Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) will also be signed during the visit to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of Culture and Arts. The MoS will be delivering a lecture on 'Structure of Judiciary in India' at the Law Faculty of the University of Belgrade, the statement informed.
During the visit, Lekhi will also formally unveil the bust of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in Belgrade. In addition, she will interact with members of the Indian community and friends of India, and also visit Matica Srpska, the oldest Serbian literary, cultural and scientific society, and discuss ways for greater cooperation with institutions in India.
