The Soviet-German dialogue on energy as a prerequisite for détente in 1960s-1970s

Abstract

The Soviet-German economic relations between the 1960s and 1970s are characterized by wide contacts at the private business and official state levels, when the economic policy of the West Germany was being carried out in close cooperation with the “private” initiatives of German entrepreneurs. This connection can be observed in the negotiations held in 1958, 1962 and 1966, as well as before the signing of the Treaty of Moscow in 1969-1970 after the “negotiation marathon” between West German entrepreneurs and Soviet negotiators. “The New Eastern Policy” became a significant instrument for building complex relations with the Soviet Union, although with very different approaches taken by representatives of West German conservative-liberal (CDU/CSU, FDP) and social-democratic (SPD) political camps. Nevertheless, at first this resulted in a gradual and then an accelerated economic integration of the Soviet Union into the world economy. The economic interests of the two countries called for a constructive dialogue. Finally, the emergence of bilateral positive economic dependence between them that rested on different socio-economic and ideological principles forced both sides to carefully handle the pipeline infrastructure.

Keywords

• pipes embargo
• contract “gas-pipes”
• soviet union
• federal republic of germany
• energy dialogue
• k. adenauer
• w. brandt
• l. brezhnev
• g. schröder
• l. erhard