DINCOLO DE CORTINA DE FIER: NEGOCIERILE INTERGUVERNAMENTALE ROMÂNO-AMERICANE (MAI–IUNIE 1964)
LOOKING BEYOND THE IRON CURTAIN: THE ROMANIAN-AMERICAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATIONS (MAY–JUNE 1964)

Summary/Abstract: During the Cold War, starting with 1960, Romania began to normalize its relations with the United States, by signing a financial agreement and concluding a cultural convention. Things took a good turn in the following years, mainly due to the fact that Gheorghiu-Dej regarded Khrushchev as an adventurer who endangered Romania’s future. A possible encounter between the intergovernmental delegations of the two states had been prepared since 1963, after Romania surprisingly turned towards the US and drew the attention of the Kennedy administration, in line with the policy of differential treatment of Eastern European countries.The context was fully favorable since President Lyndon Johnson chose to overcome tense confrontations and pleaded for the famous “bridge building” towards Eastern Europe, through trade and cultural collaborations. In the second half of May 1964, Romanians and Americans held negotiations in Washington on issues related to trade, economy, diplomacy, culture, and consular relations. The Romanian delegation discussed with a series of powerful American companies that could support the Romanian economy. The details focused on types of equipment, technical data, product quality, payment methods, and the maintenance of Romanian equipment. On June, 1st, 1964, the two delegations signed a Joint Statement summarizing the progress made in the bilateral negotiations in various fields. The future, as anticipated at the time, sounded very promising for closer relations between Bucharest and Washington. Unfortunately, the intensification of the Vietnam War ultimately resulted in the freezing of these relations for the following years.

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