ABSTRACT
The year under review was an active one for Soviet diplomacy in the Middle East. Seeking to exploit American discomfiture over the Irangate scandal, Moscow stepped up its efforts to convene an international conference to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict and, in the process, expanded its contacts with Israel. Moscow was, however, pleased by the conference's decision to endorse the Soviet plan for an international conference on the middle east attended by the five permanent members of the Security Council and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Soviet representative also discussed a number of industrial projects Moscow was interested in helping Iran with, including the expansion of the capacity of the Isfahan metallurgical complex to 1.9m. tons and the completion and expansion of the Montagen power station. The Soviet media sought to portray the Jordanian monarch's visit as an important example of Soviet-Arab friendship.
