Soviet-Spanish Negotiations on the Restoration of Diplomatic Relations in the 1960s

Abstract

Negotiations between Moscow and Madrid on the establishment of relations in the 1960s remain a little-studied episode in the history of two countries. Most articles on this issue are based on open sources and memories. In this paper, recently discovered documents provide a new perspective. Negotiations of 1963—1964 were held in Paris at the initiative of Madrid. According to the documents from the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History (RGANI), the Soviet ambassador tried to convince both Moscow and the Spanish Communist Party in the need for the establishment of relations, despite the instructions that this step was untimely. Even though the negotiations failed, the Soviet-Spanish contacts became more active. In 1965 and 1967 Madrid tried to establish relations with several countries of the Eastern Bloc, but Moscow advised them not to do so. A new stage in bilateral relations began after the conflict between the Soviet Union and the Spanish communists over the Prague Spring. As a result, the opportunity opened for Moscow and Madrid to sign a trade agreement in the early 1970s.