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18
The
PLAIN TRUTH
October 1971
Yugoslavia,
ltalyand
B •1d•
theVatican-
Ul 10g
the East-West
Friendship Bridge
I
N MARCH
1971, Yugoslav President
Tito scored a double first. He paid
his iirst state visit to ltaly and be–
carne the first Communist head of state
to visit the Vatican.
The invitation to visit l taly had been
extended by President Saragat when
Tito visited Yugoslavia last year. A
planned visit for last December had
been cancelled at the last moment by
Tito.
Why
Renewed Relations?
Observers agree that Italo-Yugoslav
relations go beyond the friendship of
just good neighbors. They are part of
Europe's Ostpolitik - the politics of
reaching eastern European ncighbors,
and the eastero European response
reflects thc rising
diplomatic
powcr of
Europe. Part of the interest is due to
Communist East Europe's desire to be a
part of a dynamic, throbbing, l ively, and
active Europe.
Present Italo-Yugoslav relations, in–
dicative of a new feeling of "Europe–
anness," have not always been so
cordial.
In
1941, Italy and Germany in–
vaded Yugoslavia. After one week
Yugoslavia collapsed, but guerrilla
resistance was organized. German and
by
Carmelo Spiccia
fascist detachments unable to crush the
guerrilla resistance - led mainly by
Tito - resorted to terror tactics. These
were in vain. The Yugoslavs resisted,
won, and took revenge by filling moun–
tain holes with the corpses of thousands
of ltalians. Memories still remain pain–
fully vivid on both sides.
A common thorn is the disputed bor–
dee
between the two countries. The
whole territorial dispute is compounded
by the interna] political climate of the
two countries.
Naturally it is considered unhealthy
for a democratic government to become
too friendly with a Communist country.
Any sigo of friendship with a Commu–
nist country carries with it the danger of
swelling the ranks of the Italian Com–
munist Party - the second largest party
in Italy and well within reach of the
reins of power.
Tito also has to tread a delicate line.
At borne he has to watch the "Left,"
obviously unhappy with his soft brand
of Communism and
his
"Western
oriented" policies. The "Right' ' criticizes
him for being a Communist in the first
place.
He also knows the importance of
maintaining relations with Moscow.
After all, there was an invasion of
Hungary ( 1956) and an invasion of
Czechoslovakia (1968) - countries
who became too liberal interoally and
too friendly with the West externally.
Future Cooperation?
What hope is there then for Italo–
Yugoslav cooperation? The common
border could facilitate cooperation. Both
are European countries with the same
heritage of Christian civilization and a
certain ethnic similarity.
lt's a well known fact that although
Yugoslavia daims to be Communist, she
has had more tension with the Soviet
Union than with any other country.
Tito's brand of "national Communism"
has been more Western than Eastern.
While ties with the Communist bloc
are becoming looser, they are becoming
stronger with Western Europe. Yugo–
slavia is oot about to be left out of the
industrial and commercial boom of the
Common Market. In fact, in 1970 she
became the first Communist country to
have a trade agreement with the
European Economic Community.
Indeed, it may be possible that once