p Soviet cultural and scientific relations with African countries are maintained primarily on the basis of inter- government agreements on cultural and scientific cooperation. Between 1957 and 1978, such agreements were signed with forty independent African countries.

p The first agreement on cultural cooperation in the history of Soviet-African relations was signed with Egypt on 19 October 1957. Guinea was the second country to sign a similar agreement, on 26 February 1959.

p As a rule, in all these agreements the contracting parties undertake, in keeping with their law, to consolidate and expand mutually beneficial cultural and scientific exchanges on the basis of equality, respect for sovereignty and 238 non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. The agreements provide for measures to promote an exchange of knowledge between the parties, with a view to learning more about the life of each people in the cultural, scientific, educational, artistic, health care, and sports fields, and encouraging cooperation between organisations and institutions working in these fields.

p The agreements include articles providing for an exchange of know-how and scientific achievements, delegations of scientists, research personnel, specialists, experts, post- graduates, probationers, scientific and technical documents and information. They also provide for arranging trips of scientirt-3 to read lectures on certain lines of research or study cou/ses; extending mutual invitations to scientists to work at educational establishments or research centres; rendering assistance in training national personnel, including those with higher scientific qualifications; establishing closer contacts between scientific libraries in order to organise an exchange of scientific books; importing and exporting the equipment necessary for research laboratories and educational establishments; recognising diplomas, university and scientific degrees conferred in each country; sending textbooks and other aids to African training centres; and other measures.

p The contracting parties undertake to promote closer cooperation between cultural, scientific and educational government and non-government organisations. Specific measures on cultural and scientific cooperation are implemented by way of direct agreement between the competent government agencies (on the basis of one- or twoyear plans, programmes, or working protocols), and also between the public organisations of the parties.

p Working protocols, programmes and plans provide, among other things, for regularly sending Soviet teachers, including Russian-language teachers, to African universities and secondary educational establishments, maintaining scientific contacts between universities, exchanging scientists, and enrolling considerable numbers of African young people at Soviet higher and secondary educational establishments.

p Agreements signed in the subsequent period (1966-78) provided for a broader exchange of scientists and experts and were more comprehensive than those signed in the late 1950s and the early 1960s. They included provisions for 239 joint research in various scientific fields and permanent working contacts and ties between universities and scientific centres. The number of African students in the USSR and of Soviet professors and teachers in African countries has grown markedly.

p Scientific cooperation is often a component part of the overall economic and technological assistance rendered by the Soviet Union to the African countries. Technological cooperation with these countries embraces not only equipment deliveries, but also the transfer of technical documents containing the results of Soviet scientific and technological development and advanced production methods.

p Experience has shown that the developing nations are seeking to establish scientific and technological ties with the USSR on the basis of special inter-government agreements. Such agreements have been concluded, for example, with Algeria and Morocco. They envisage exchanges of delegations, scientific and technical documents and information, joint work by scientists and experts on the peaceful uses of atomic energy, in energetics, chemistry and petrochemistry, the textile industry, and so on. The signing of these agreements shows that the USSR is developing new, as well as the traditional forms of mutually advantageous cooperation, in order to further increase the efficiency of its assistance to the newly free countries.

p The Soviet Association of Friendship with the Peoples of Africa plays a special role in promoting cultural exchanges with Africa. This public organisation has branches in many cities and republics of the Soviet Union. In addition to individual Soviet citizens, its members include the entire staffs of various industrial enterprises, collective farms, educational establishments, and research centres. The Association familiarises the Soviet public with the history, national liberation movement, work, everyday life, economy and culture of the African peoples. At the same time, it promotes the spread of information among Africans concerning the history of the USSR, its economic, government and public affairs, scientific, technological and cultural achievements.

p Every year, the Association organises various meetings to mark African independence clays, lectures, reviews of films about Africa, and meetings with active members that 240 have just returned from Africa. It receives many letters from African scholars and cultural workers.

p Many African delegations visit the USSR on the invitation of the Association and other Soviet public organisations. African guests go to various Soviet Republics and establish contacts with Soviet scholars, writers and poets.

The African public is displaying a growing interest in the Soviet Union. This is borne out, for instance, by the setting up of mass public organisations of friendship with the USSR in Algeria, Ghana, Nigeria, Tunisia, and some other African countries. These organisations have their own Houses of Friendship, with reading rooms and film projection facilities, in many towns in their respective countries. African-Soviet Friendship Societies organise exhibitions showing the Soviet way of life, show films, organise lectures and get-togethers with visiting Soviet citizens, and cooperate actively with Soviet public organisations.