Dr Petar Dragišić
Institute for Recent History of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia
Dr Petar Dragišić
Institute for Recent History of Serbia
Belgrade, Serbia
Vol. XXXVI, 1/2018, pp. 147–160
https://doi.org/10.29362/ist20veka.2018.1.dra.147-160
ABSTRACT/RESUME: This paper is focused on Yugoslav perceptions of the European Economic Community from the Treaty of Rome in 1957 to the first EEC enlargement in 1973. Numerous Yugoslav archival sources provide useful insights into the background of the European integration process, the main motives of the EEC member states and the cold war components of this major undertaking. The creation of the European Economic Community was closely monitored in Yugoslavia, due to strong economic ties between Yugoslavia and the EEC member states. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s Yugoslav analysts perceived the European Economic Community as a tool for strengthening the West European capitalism and underlined whole-hearted support of the USA for the European integration process. Besides, Yugoslav experts carefully observed consequences of the West European integration for the Yugoslav economy, i. e. for the Yugoslav economic relations with the EEC member countries. The Yugoslav documents indicate a deep fear of the Yugoslav regime of a possible negative impact of the European integration process on the Yugoslav economy. For that reason, the Yugoslav regime started to search for alternative economic paths, yet pinning its hopes on negotiations with the EEC.
KEYWORDS: Yugoslavia, Western Europe, European Economic Community, USA, NATO, Josip Broz Tito
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