Gertrude Enderle-Burcel, Dieter Stiefel, Alice Teichova (Hrsg.): Sonderband 9. „Zarte Bande” – Österreich und die europäischen planwirtschaftlichen Länder / „Delicate Relationships” – Austria and Europe’s Planned Economies (2006)
Žarko Lazarević /Jože Prinčič: Slovene-Austrian Economic Relations, 1945-1991 (A View from Slovenia)
Slovene-Austrian Economic Relations, 1945-1991 network suited to Austrian needs and conditions. Austrians did not have a high opinion of joint ventures in Carinthia and Styria. They considered them inappropriate to Austrian standards, among other reasons, because they were too closely linked to the Slovene economy and all its disadvantages and difficulties.20 The Slovene Perspective From 1945 to 1991 Slovenia was the most active Yugoslav republic in its efforts to increase Yugoslav - Austrian economic relations. It was also at an advantage because of its geographical position, historical and other connections. Other factors contributing to the need for strengthening economic cooperation with the more developed neighbour were the worsening situation of the Slovene national minority living in Carinthia and Styria, and an ambition to develop and to gain access to Western countries. One of the important routes towards the developed West was through Austrian businesses and investment. In the period of limited and one-way economic relations, from 1945 to 1947/48, the Slovenian government was to re-establish economic relations with its neighbour. The political situation posed limitations, as the relationship was only possible with the part of Austria under the control of the USSR. The Soviet occupation government was helpful with the search for and return of some of the goods that were taken from Slovenia before the end of the war.21 Economic (and other) ministries in Slovenia were inventive and soon established vibrant trading with the Soviet part of Austria. In 1945, they were buying commodities and other industrial materials from Austria. The Ministry for Trade and Supplies used part of the Reich marks that it was given during the exchange of the currencies.22 The following year the priority was to buy electrical materials, steel tools and production materials. Slovene buyers were also buying consumer goods for other parts of Yugoslavia. In 1947 and in the first half of 1948, Slovene agents increased their efforts to buy various tools, electro-technical materials and various metal products that were brought into Austria through channels from Sweden and Germany. In that period, some investment contracts were signed to supply machines and other equipment and materials for the newly built power plants in Slovenia. After the Yugoslav conflict with the Soviet Union, the administration of the Soviet property in Austria refused to fulfil its contractual obligations, although the Slovene government had already transferred the necessary down payments. Slovenia started to strengthen its presence in the Austrian market in the first half of the 1950s. It took advantage of the additional exchanges of goods due to the fair contracts. Those contracts secured a better supply of production and other materials 20 Avstrijci so previdni. In: Gospodarski Vestnik, no. 28, 18.7.1991. 21 ARS, 223-1543. 22 ARS, 223-1543. 241
