Yugoslav diplomacy was highly alarmed by the 1979 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, which, similarly to Yugoslavia, was at the time a non-aligned and socialist country outside of the Warsaw Pact.[1] Yugoslavia officially condemned Soviet intervention and expressed "astonishment" and "deep concern" over developments in Afghanistan.[2] The intervention happened when President of YugoslaviaJosip Broz Tito's health deteriorated with perception that Moscow was waiting for Tito to die in order to renew its pressure on Belgrade.[1]Tito's funeral turned into the largest state funeral in history. Yugoslavia insisted that the Non-Aligned Movement organize a special ministerial meeting where Soviet intervention would be condemned, the kind of action which until then was always reserved for Western countries.[1]India was not ready to support the Yugoslav initiative, fearing it will strengthened the position of Pakistan and China, while Cuba, the chair of the Movement at the time, was in fact closely aligned with the Soviet Union.[1] Following the intervention, Yugoslavia limited its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan to a level of the chargé d'affaires.[1]
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