 On October 29, 2008, an exhibition of archival documents "Yugoslavia in International Relations 1918-1992" was opened at the Archives of Serbia and Montenegro in the presence of numerous ranking officials, Ambassadors of the Russian Federation, Japan, Ukraine, Iran and Croatia and representatives of scientific, cultural and other institutions. The guests were addressed by Miladin Milošević, Acting Director, and Nebojša Bradić, Serbian Minister of Culture, who also opened the exhibition.
In his address, Mr. Milošević said "... Cultural wealth in the form of archival documents in the competence of our Archives offers the possibility to gain nearly endless knowledge about numerous issues from the history of the Yugoslav state. And not just of the Yugoslav state. The wealth of topics and constant wish and need to gain new knowledge about our past are just some of the reasons why the Archives should appear before the professional and general public with a new exhibition of archival documents. On this occasion, we have chosen a foreign policy topic entitled "Yugoslavia in International Relations 1918-1992". The time frame refers to the years of the creation of the Yugoslav state and year when this state withdrew to history.
This is a topic whose importance and complexity will invoke more and more interest of historians and scientific workers, I am certain. All the more so in view of the fact that our historiography does not contain an integrally processed and written history of Yugoslavia's foreign policy – be that the Kingdom or Republic. We don't have such history even for the Kingdom of Serbia.
The applied topics and initiated research on the topic of Yugoslavia's foreign policy at our archives are encouraging. It is to be expected that future generations of historians and other researchers soon give our public one such history. When I say historians –researchers, I don't think that this is their exclusive right, but this is because they are those who should be the first to tell the truth about the past through their scientific research and observing the scientific method and critical opinion.
On its side, the Archives contributes to the spreading of knowledge about the past through exhibitions such as this one.
The authors of the exhibition, historians – archivists Dušan Jončić and Dr Gojko Malović tried to use 22 thematic groups with 302 documents, or as many as such an exhibition allows, to present Yugoslavia in international relations and therefore its diplomacy as well. Diplomacy, which was headed by 23 foreign ministers in the 73 years of Yugoslav history. There were 12 minister in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and 11 ministers in the Republic and we should note that the last foreign minister in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was also the first foreign minister in the Democratic Federative Yugoslavia.
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia had diplomatic relations with nearly 40 states – nearly all European and 8 non-European states. In the 1980s, when it had a leading position in the Non-Aligned Movement, the SFRY had diplomatic relations with more than 130 states. The Kingdom of SHS was first recognized by Norway and then by the United States, Greece, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia. The last state to recognize it was the USSSR.
The first countries that recognized the new post World War II authorities in Yugoslavia were the USSR, Great Britain, United States and France.
These are just some of the features that refer to the topic of the exhibition which we recommend."
Serbian Culture Minister Nebojša Bradić, in his address, spoke about the importance of the Archives, stressing the necessity to solve its status and name, issues which the Ministry of Culture would soon initiate in order to ensure its resolution.
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE OPENING IN BELGRADE
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