JUGOSLOVENSKO-BRITANSKI RAZGOVORI U BEOGRADU 1952. I LONDONU 1953. GODINE
YUGOSLAV-BRITISH TALKS IN BELGRADE (1952) AND IN LONDON (1953)

Summary/Abstract: The first official visit of the British Foreign Minister, Anthony Eden, to Yugoslavia (17-23 November, 1952) and the return visit, at Winston Churchill’s invitation, of Yugoslav President, Josip Broz Tito, (16-21 March, 1953), had considerable impact on the mutual cooperation and understanding between the two countries’ governments. The meeting attracted the attention of international political circles and provoked various reactions of the public. The talks served to strengthen British confidence in the Yugoslav government’s readiness to resist possible aggression of the Cominform countries. The reason behind this was the agreement, which had recently been signed between Yugoslavia, Turkey and Greece. As part of a global defense plan, this Agreement was taken to guarantee the defense of the west wing in the event of war. British reliance on Yugoslavia’s course of action was also based on explanations given regarding Anglo-American intentions in case of war in the Balkans and on clearly defined Yugoslav views concerning the Ljubljana issue, the role of Italy, the importance of Albania’s preventive isolation and the possibilities of defense maneuvers on Yugoslav territory. In the course of these talks, the British government assured the Yugoslav side for the first time, that it would not be left without support in the event of an assault from the Cominform countries since a confrontation of that sort would mean the beginning of a third world war.

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