Journal Analele Banatului N.S. Archaeology-History

Vasile Rămneanţu

Din culisele unei întâlniri la nivel înalt de la Timişoara. Vizita lui Iosip Broz Tito din februarie 1969 / Aspects from the Backstage of a High Level Meeting at Timișoara. The Visit of Iosip Broz Tito from February 1969

Jan. 1, 2015

Abstract

is visit took place at the time when the Romanian – Yugoslavian relationships were "ourishing more and more, the invasion in Czechoslovakia of the #ve states – members of e Warsaw Pact – contributing without doubt, at the tightening of the relations between Belgrade and Bucharest. As it regards the organisation of this visit, we meet the speci#c stereotypes of the states within the comunist system, among which we remind the mobilization of a large number of citizens to cheer to the echo the two missions on their way to di$erent spots of the city. During the dialogue the two missions concentrated upon analysing international relationships. In their interventions, both Ceaușescu and Tito, although they maintained a critical attitude towards the invasion of Czechoslvakia, they underlined their wish to reach at a normalization of the relations with Moscow, showing moderation in this respect. But the two states had frictions with other fraternal countries – with Bulgaria and Poland in Yugoslavia’s case and with Poland in Romania’s case, the two leaders being convinced that the attacks from So#a and Warsaw were weaved by the Soviets. At this rate, Tito’s assertions according to which he trusted no longer the Soviet leadership are to be kept in mind or those of his Romanian counterpart who was expressing his concern about Romania’s precarious security at the beginning of 1969, surrounded, except Jugoslavia, by not quite friendly comunist states. At the same time, unlike the non-aligned Belgrade, Bucharest belonged at the military – economic system coordinated by Moscow, disapproving the ”C.A.E.R.” integration plan (brought forward at that moment) or giving tongue for another type of relations within e Warsaw Pact. In this insecure political context, both for Romania and for Yugoslavia, the leader from Belgrade decided to strengthen the country’s capability of defense, adoptig the concept of ”mobilization of the whole nation”, formula considered by Ceaușescu too. In order to get the necesary armament for achieving these projects, the Yugoslavian politician proposed a military collaboration with Romania, Nicolae Ceaușescu, in our opinion, being moderate with the answer given to his guest. Holding on inspection the relations of the two countries with the main western countries (U.S.A., England, France, Italy, Greece) these were considered good, political decision makers from the two countries intending their development. Worth mentioning are the dissenting opinions regarding the Near East. us, while Ceaușescu kept the relations both with Israel and with Arab countries, Iosip Broz Tito adopted a pro Arab policy (explainable maybe also because Nasser was one of the non-aligned movement leaders alongside the Yugoslavian ruler), Yugoslavia perceiving the Arab – Israelian con"ict in the light of the presence of American and Soviet "eets in the Mediterranenan (although Belgrade gave evidence of duplicity agreeing the presence of Soviets in the aria). At that moment both parts wanted the withdrawal of the two super powers’ military ships. Approaching the internal evolutions of the two comunist states, we have a Ceaușescu who intended a high level of economic development for the future, which #nally led at a deep crisis for the country. On the other hand, the shorthand report presents a Romanian open minded leader, conscious of the importance of computer science, in clear contrast to the dictator from the end of the 80’s of the last century. Yugoslavia crossed through a period of economic reform based on self-management (it had negative results too) and also an extremly important political reform (greater autonomy for the republics, rejuvenation of the party, a greater internal democracy within the party). e e$ects of these reforms led, a little later, to a more liberal economic and political system than in Romania. In the next period the high level Romanian – Yugoslavian meetings continued annually, fact decided by the two leaders at Timișoara at the beginning of February 1969.