Soviet Union–Yugoslavia relations

Soviet Union–Yugoslavia relations (Russian: Советско-югославские отношения; Serbo-Croatian: Odnosi Sovjetskog Saveza i Jugoslavije, Односи Совјетског Савеза и Југославије; Slovene: Odnosi med Sovjetsko zvezo in Jugoslavijo; Macedonian: Односите Советски Сојуз-Југославија) were the historical foreign relations between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia (both the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918–1941 and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 1945–1992). Both states became defunct with the dissolution of the Soviet Union between 1988 and 1991 and the breakup of Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1992. Relations between the two countries developed very ambiguously. Until 1940 they were openly hostile, and in 1948 they deteriorated. In 1949 relations between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia completely deteriorated. From 1953–1955, bilateral relations were restored with the signing of the Belgrade declaration, but until the collapse of Yugoslavia they remained very restrained. Relations with Soviet Union were a high priority for Belgrade as good relations, or lack thereof, helped the country to develop the principle of Cold War equidistance on which the Yugoslav non-alignment policy was based.

While geographically not close, two countries were both predominantly Slavic with significant shared Eastern Orthodox Christian traditions which were particularly reflected in historical pre-World War I relations between Russian Empire with Principality of Serbia and Principality of Montenegro. Significant historical, cultural and political links were nevertheless not reflected in close bilateral relations with tensions and strategic divisions continuing almost throughout the existence of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. It was not until June 1940 that the Kingdom of Yugoslavia formally recognised the USSR and established diplomatic relations, one of the last European countries to do so.

In the 1960s and 1980s, the trade between the two countries was significant and grew up until 1985. The USSR became a major consumer of Yugoslav cultural products with publication of translations of books by Yugoslav writers, and it became a major consumer of Yugoslav movies as well.

While in the case of Soviet Union, the Russian Federation was internationally recognized as a sole successor state, there was shared succession in the case of Yugoslavia with five sovereign equal successor states which were formed upon the dissolution of the federation. Serbia and the Russian Federation nevertheless recognize the continuity of all inter-State documents signed between the two countries since 1940. Croatia, using the principle and legislative procedure for of state succession, formally recognizes some of the old agreements such as the 1955 Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation, 1974 Agreement on Cultural, Scientific and Educational Cooperation, and the 1988 Agreement on Higher Education Qualifications Recognition.