Ivory Coast |
Soviet Union |
---|
C么te d'Ivoire鈥揝oviet relations were the bilateral relations between C么te d'Ivoire and Soviet Union. Overall, the Ivorian-Soviet relations were sporadic and frosty as the Ivorian president F茅lix Houphou毛t-Boigny mistrusted the Soviet Union and had a negative view of the Soviet role in Africa. [1]
The Soviet Union had declared its recognition of the independence of C么te d'Ivoire and offered the new state diplomatic relations in a telegram issued on August 6, 1960 (one day before independence of C么te d'Ivoire was declared). [2] The Soviet Union had begun to import cocoa beans from C么te d'Ivoire in 1959, but this trade was discontinued in 1961. [3]
However, in the early phase of Ivorian independence Soviet analysts classified the Ivorian government as ' reactionary'. [4] By the mid-1960s, there was a shift in Soviet attitudes towards C么te d'Ivoire. The new Soviet ambition to seek development of contacts with C么te d'Ivoire could be seen as part of a wider strategy, directed towards enhancing contacts to regionally important moderate states in the Third World (another example in West Africa was Nigeria). [5]
Another factor that hampered the development of Ivorian-Soviet links was the fact that Soviet Union had close links with Guinea, ruled by Houphou毛t-Boigny's adversary Ahmed S茅kou Tour茅. Guinea was accused of fomenting opposition inside C么te d'Ivoire, and there were suspicions that the Soviet Union had given its support to these activities. The Soviet-Guinean cooperation was however broken off. [6] A mutual agreement to establish diplomatic relations between C么te d'Ivoire and the Soviet Union was announced on January 23, 1967. [2] In November the same year the first Soviet ambassador to C么te d'Ivoire, Sergey Petrov, was appointed. [7]
On May 30, 1969, C么te d'Ivoire declared that it severed the relations with the Soviet Union, as allegations were directed that Petrov had given direct support to a 1968 protest at the National University of C么te d'Ivoire. [1] [2] [8]
The two states did not restore ties until February 1986. The reassumption of bilateral relations could be attributed to two factors. On one hand Houphou毛t-Boigny had begun to embrace a more active foreign policy, including a more pragmatic attitude towards the Soviet Union. Furthermore, at the time Houphou毛t-Boigny was active in seeking increased international recognition. [1] The Soviet Union sent Boris Minakov as its ambassador to C么te d'Ivoire. He served as ambassador until 1990. [7]
Ivory Coast |
Soviet Union |
---|
C么te d'Ivoire鈥揝oviet relations were the bilateral relations between C么te d'Ivoire and Soviet Union. Overall, the Ivorian-Soviet relations were sporadic and frosty as the Ivorian president F茅lix Houphou毛t-Boigny mistrusted the Soviet Union and had a negative view of the Soviet role in Africa. [1]
The Soviet Union had declared its recognition of the independence of C么te d'Ivoire and offered the new state diplomatic relations in a telegram issued on August 6, 1960 (one day before independence of C么te d'Ivoire was declared). [2] The Soviet Union had begun to import cocoa beans from C么te d'Ivoire in 1959, but this trade was discontinued in 1961. [3]
However, in the early phase of Ivorian independence Soviet analysts classified the Ivorian government as ' reactionary'. [4] By the mid-1960s, there was a shift in Soviet attitudes towards C么te d'Ivoire. The new Soviet ambition to seek development of contacts with C么te d'Ivoire could be seen as part of a wider strategy, directed towards enhancing contacts to regionally important moderate states in the Third World (another example in West Africa was Nigeria). [5]
Another factor that hampered the development of Ivorian-Soviet links was the fact that Soviet Union had close links with Guinea, ruled by Houphou毛t-Boigny's adversary Ahmed S茅kou Tour茅. Guinea was accused of fomenting opposition inside C么te d'Ivoire, and there were suspicions that the Soviet Union had given its support to these activities. The Soviet-Guinean cooperation was however broken off. [6] A mutual agreement to establish diplomatic relations between C么te d'Ivoire and the Soviet Union was announced on January 23, 1967. [2] In November the same year the first Soviet ambassador to C么te d'Ivoire, Sergey Petrov, was appointed. [7]
On May 30, 1969, C么te d'Ivoire declared that it severed the relations with the Soviet Union, as allegations were directed that Petrov had given direct support to a 1968 protest at the National University of C么te d'Ivoire. [1] [2] [8]
The two states did not restore ties until February 1986. The reassumption of bilateral relations could be attributed to two factors. On one hand Houphou毛t-Boigny had begun to embrace a more active foreign policy, including a more pragmatic attitude towards the Soviet Union. Furthermore, at the time Houphou毛t-Boigny was active in seeking increased international recognition. [1] The Soviet Union sent Boris Minakov as its ambassador to C么te d'Ivoire. He served as ambassador until 1990. [7]