p For several years after the Second World War the Soviet Union consistently advocated that Libya, a former Italian colony, should be granted political independence. Thanks to the determined efforts of Soviet representatives in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the USSR, USA, Britain and France in 1945 and 1946, in the international commission which worked in Libya, at the London Conference of Deputy 99 Foreign Ministers, at the session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of these countries in Paris in 1948, and in the UN in 1949, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the proclamation of Libya a sovereign, independent state in 1951.

p When it became known in Libya that on 21 November 1949 the Soviet delegation at the Fourth Session of the UN General Assembly proposed that it should be immediately granted independence, manifestations in support for this proposal took place in Tripoli, Benghazi and other Libyan towns. The participants in these demonstrations and meetings expressed their gratitude to the Soviet Union without whose active support the very existence of Libya as a united independent state would have been in doubt.

p In the following years the Soviet Union continued to work for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Libya and the dismantlement of British and US military bases on its territory. On 23 January 1952 the Soviet representative told the UN Special Political Committee that the presence of foreign troops and the existence of military bases on Libyan territory violated the sovereign rights of the Libyan people and were incompatible with the country’s national independence and sovereignty.

p But the Soviet Union’s efforts to broaden cooperation with Libya encountered the intransigence of its monarchical government. The Libyan monarchy relied rather heavily on the Western powers and consequently the latter were able to influence its policy towards the USSR. As a result, the monarchical government’s relations with the USSR were on the level of diplomatic politesse and limited trade. While the Soviet Embassy in Libya was opened in 1956, Libya set up its Embassy in Moscow only in 1962.

p After the victory of the anti-feudal and anti-imperialist revolution in Libya on 1 September 1969, the Soviet Union was the first great power to recognise the republican regime (4 September 1969).

p Promptly after the establishment of the new regime, the Libyan leaders announced their intention to establish closer relations and cooperation with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. Libya appreciated the Soviet Union’s contribution to the liberation of the oppressed peoples, and its extensive economic, military, moral and political support for the struggle of the Arab peoples against 100 Emacs-File-stamp: "/home/ysverdlov/leninist.biz/en/1980/UCOA319/20080107/199.tx" the Israeli aggression. "We look upon Russia as a friend,” said Chairman of the [Revolutionary [Command Council Muarnmar al-Gaddai’i, "because it is a country which is friendly to the Arab peoples. The Soviet Union fosters this friendship and treats the Arab nation as an equal would treat an equal.”  [100•31 

p Libya’s links with the USSR and other socialist countries did in fact grow and strengthen considerably. Trade between them also increased. The Soviet Union met the Libyan Government’s request for technical assistance in developing the country’s nationalised oil industry, and sent a group of highly qualified specialists there. Soviet doctors were also sent to work in Libya.

p In the summer of 1970 a direct Moscow-Tripoli air route was inaugurated. In February and March 1972 an official Libyan delegation led by Member of the Revolutionary Command Council, Minister for the Economy and Industry Abdul Salam Jalloud visited the Soviet Union where it was received by the leaders of the Communist Party and the Soviet Government. The sides exchanged views on a broad range of questions related to Soviet-Libyan relations and international politics, confirmed that there were prospects for expanding the links between the two countries in different fields and emphasised the importance of closer friendship between the Soviet Union and progressive Arab countries for the success of their struggle against imperialism, colonialism and Zionist-Israeli aggression. A five-year agreement on economic and technical cooperation at state level was signed by the USSR and Libya in March 1972.

p The positive results of Soviet-Libyan cooperation and its favourable influence on the mounting revolutionary movement of the Arab peoples^in the struggle against reaction, imperialism and Zionism were the reasons behind the second visit of Abdul Salam Jalloud, this time as Libya’s Prime Minister, to the USSR in May 1974. The Soviet leaders attached great importance to this visit which, as the Joint Statement noted, "contributed to the development of relations of friendship and cooperation between the USSR and Libya".  [100•32  The Libyan Premier was received by Leonid Brezhnev. He also held talks with 101 Alexei Kosygin. The Soviet-Libyan negotiations proceeded in a friendly atmosphere and in the spirit of frankness and mutual understanding.

p In the course of a broad exchange of views on various issues, including Soviet-Libyan relations, the two sides noted with satisfaction that all opportunities were at hand for the further fruitful development of all-round contacts between them and confirmed their desire "to expand and deepen mutually beneficial economic cooperation on the basis of the agreement of 4 March 1972 in the interests of both sides".  [101•33 

p The two sides thoroughly examined questions of how to further expand and strengthen their trade relations, and signed a new trade agreement.

p A great deal of attention was paid to the Middle East situation and the need for an immediate settlement of the Middle East crisis on the basis of the pertinent UN resolutions. The Soviet side said that it was fully determined to continue to furnish every assistance to the Arab peoples in their struggle to consolidate their national independence and achieve economic and social progress.

p In a conversation with journalists Muammar al-Gaddafi mentioned the friendly nature of Libya’s relations with the Soviet Union. There were no contradictions between the two countries, he said, and their friendship was lasting. At the same time he noted that this did not rule out ideological differences between them.

p Such a statement by no means runs counter to the stand of the USSR whose policy takes into account distinctions in the political and socio-economic conditions in individual countries. In a speech at a reception in honour of the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Salam Jalloud in May 1974, Alexei Kosygin said: "If we were to compare that which unites Libya and the Soviet Union with what in our opinion does not coincide, then the odds would be decisively in favour of what unites us... As regards the differences in views, they are for the most part in the ideological field.... But we have no desire to impose our ideology on anyone. This would be against our principles, and, moreover, Marxism-Leninism does not need it at all.”  [101•34 

p The next step in the development of friendly relations between the two countries was the return visit to Libya by Alexei Kosygin in May 1975. The visit, which took place in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding, enabled the leaders of the two countries once again to examine the state of Soviet-Libyan relations and to consult about the situation in the Arab region and the African continent, and other problems of the contemporary international situation. Special attention was focussed on the explosive situation in the Middle East. The sides reiterated that "real peace in that region could’be achieved only given the complete liberation of all occupied Arab territories and ensurance of the legitimate national rights of the Arab people of Palestine, including its right to self-determination and establishment of a national state”.

p The Joint Soviet-Libyan Communique emphasised that Alexei Kosygin’s visit to Libya "gave added strength to the relations between the USSR and Libya and would contribute to the further development of friendship and consolidation of mutual understanding between them".  [102•35 

p During Alexei Kosygin’s visit the two countries signed a number of important agreements, including an agreement on the construction of a house-building factory and a metallurgical complex in Libya, and the erection by the USSR of an atomic reactor for peaceful uses.

The establishment of the Libyan-Soviet Friendship Society in Libya in April 1976 is also a result of the visit of the head of the Soviet Government to Libya and proof of the significance which that country attaches to the expansion of friendly cooperation "with the USSR. It was founded by cabinet ministers, prominent social and political figures, leaders of the Arab Socialist Union, trade union and youth organisations, scientists and cultural workers. Assessing Libyan-Soviet relations Minister of State Muhammad Abul-Qassim Zuwai emphasised: Libya "has good relations with the Soviet Union and they will continue to develop".  [102•36