18.12.2023
On December 14, the international conference “Integration processes in the East and West during the Cold War: 1955–1964” was held at RSUH
The Conference was opened and the First Vice-Rector Olga Pavlenko, who delivered a welcoming speech.
“The uniqueness of this turbulent period of the 1950-60s lies in the economic interests based on pragmatism that have led to the expansion of the entire international field of interaction”.
Acting Vice-Rector for International Cooperation Vera Zabotkina noted the high relevance of the issues raised at the conference.
Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academic Director of the Institute of Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Chubaryan emphasized the important scientific and socio-political significance of the Conference and revealed the prerequisites for integration processes during the Cold War.
The plenary session began with a speech by Director of the Institute of General History of the RAS Mikhail Lipkin, dedicated to the economic reformism of Nikita Khrushchev in ideological, pragmatic and geopolitical contexts.
The presentation by Olga Pavlenko was dedicated to the transition from forced interaction to a mutually beneficial partnership between the Soviet Union, Germany and Austria.
As part of the section “The Austrian question in Soviet politics - the “Soviet project” in the Republic of Austria and the German-German factor”, participants analyzed the role of the oil and gas factor in the Soviet-Austrian partnership, the formation of the Austrian model of neutrality, as well as the role of the Soviet embassy in Austria in the development of economic relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Austria.
The issues of diplomatic, trade and economic relations between the USSR and Afghanistan, aspects of the evolution of military-political blocs, integration processes in the Middle East and the role of Charles de Gaulle in normalizing relations between the USSR and the USA were discussed at the section “Geopolitical realities of the Cold War (1950–1960s)".
Participants in the section “Bloc Politics and Neutral States of Europe” touched upon the topics of Soviet-Yugoslav relations, grain exports to Eastern European countries and the evolution of the neutrality policy of Sweden and Austria during the Cold War.
