ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that the basic feature of Soviet-Cuban bilateral relations is structural stability, made possible by the membership of both states in the so-called socialist system. In addition to the larger political agreement and to the success of joint ventures in the international arena, two other factors must be mentioned as determinants for the strengthened Soviet-Cuban relations of the seventies. One is economic cooperation, and the second is ideological affinity. The readjustment of the Soviet Union's international policy, which began in 1981, also confronted Cuba with new problems. The Cuban government thoroughly understood the need to increase its dissuasive power, and that meant a policy of denunciation and arms buildup, complemented with self-restraint in the Central American crisis. The presence in Angola, the scaled withdrawal from Ethiopia, and the low profile in Central America are policies upon which Soviets and Cubans agree in general, even if their implementation can create some difficulties.
