Malta in the Non Aligned Movement

In her memoirs, the former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Sirima R.D.Bandaranaike describes why she opposed Malta's entry into the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) in the seventies (she mistakes British military bases with American). Until just before EU membership, Malta was a member of the NAM which is composed mainly of developing nations from Asia, Africa, and Latin America that embrace more than half the world's people. Non Alignment in a Cold War context meant equidistance from the USA and the Soviet Union. From Sri Lanka's largest English language newspaper, The Sunday Observer:

She was adamant and maintained the position that as long as Pakistan was in Seato, India would not agree to Pakistan being admitted to the movement (Though Pakistan could not participate at the Summit in Colombo P. M. Bhutto gave us a lot of material aid for the conference). Though I was aware that Malta which had an American base in her territory was admitted to the movement before Lusaka Conference, that was a period that the SLFP was out of power (1965-70) therefore not in the movement.

But when I met President Tito in Algiers and called on him in the Villa he was staying in, I raised this matter of Malta being admitted as a member while still having a foreign base within its territory. His reply was that the PM Mintoff of Malta had given an assurance that the lease of the base to America was about to expire shortly and they will not renew it. On that basis Malta was admitted. In fact I told the President that I did not think it was right. Apparently nobody opposed it unlike in the case of Pakistan.

Malta's Foreign relations

A tribute to Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Sri Lanka's charismatic matriarch

The Non Aligned Movement - Background information