The collective memory of Non-Aligned Movement in Serbia's foreign policy: A path dependence analysis of Belgrade - Jakarta relations

This article examines how three successive Serbian presidents - Boris Tadić, Tomislav Nikolić, and Aleksandar Vučić - have employed memory diplomacy by mobilising shared collective memories of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Serbia's relations with Indonesia. The central question is why this Cold War-era narrative persists across administrations with differing political orientations, despite significant global changes since the collapse of Yugoslavia. The analysis is guided by two theoretical frameworks: theories of collective memory and discursive and historical institutionalism, which are used to study path dependence. Analysis of 11 official documents from 2008 to 2024 indicates that, although each president adopted distinct communicative strategies, all consistently referenced historical friendship with Indonesia. Notably, the article finds that Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito and Indonesian president Sukarno, the principal figures associated with this shared history, are rarely mentioned by name. Instead, Serbian leaders use abstract concepts such as brotherhood and anti-imperialism, allowing them to harness the emotional resonance of history while avoiding domestic political controversy. The article concludes that Serbia invokes this historical memory not out of sentimentality, but as a calculated strategy to dissuade Indonesia from recognising Kosovo's independence.