The middle Eastern policy of Yugoslavia at the end of 1973 and during the first half of 1974

Abstract

This article discusses the relationship between Yugoslavia and events in the Middle East from the end of the Yom Kippur War until the agreement between Syria and Israel at the end of May 1974. At the beginning of November 1973, the goals for further Yugoslav action were defined, focusing on the joint action of non-aligned states with the Soviet Union to defend the positions of the Arabs. The details of the joint Middle East policy were agreed upon during Tito's visit to Kiev in mid-November 1973 and his meeting with Soviet leader Brezhnev. Due to strained relations during the war, Tito wrote to US President Nixon to improve relations, leading to the American government sending a representative to Belgrade. The Yugoslavs positively evaluated the conclusion of the agreement between Egypt and Israel in mid-January 1974, and managed deals on the reconstruction of the destroyed areas with the governments in Cairo and Damascus. During a visit to Damascus, Tito influenced Assad to accept the Geneva negotiations proposed by Kissinger. The American demand that the calculation of oil prices must be defined by the most developed countries. This caused Tito's trip to India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Syria, stronger appearance of the non-aligned mouvement and the convening of the Coordination Bureau in Algeria in March 1973. The adoption of the new economic program, which was accepted at the sixth special session of the UN General Assembly in April 1974, the crisis about border line in West Slovenia near Trieste and the actions of the Non-Aligned Movement against the interests of the USA, violated the relations between Belgrade and Washington. Although both sides needed to normalize relations, in the long term, the USA began planning actions against the unity of the non-aligned states and the survival of Yugoslavia as a country.