Skip to content

December 20, 1977

Letter, Erich Honecker to the General Secretary of the People's Congress of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi

This document was made possible with support from The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

To the General Secretary

of the General People's Congress of the

Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

 

Colonel Muammar al-G a d d a f i

 

T r i p o l i

================================

Dear Comrade Muammar al-Gaddafi!

The Politburo of the Central Committee of the SED received at its meeting today the report from Comrade Werner Lamberz, who had visited your country as my special envoy in order to have political consultations with you, dear Comrade Gaddafi, and other members of your leadership.

We are considering ourselves very happy that these meetings have demonstrated an agreement regarding our positions to such a high degree. In particular, we are thanking you, dear Comrade Gaddafi, for the trusting explanation of your position regarding the burning problems of the struggle against imperialism in the Arab countries and in Africa. I am highly appreciating the generous display of brotherly solidarity by the Libyan revolution with the people of the GDR.

The Politburo has wholeheartedly approved the results of the visit by my special envoy. It has also passed a list of concrete measures in order to successfully implement the new and higher level of our cooperation in the political, economic, and military field as well as in the areas of culture and science.

We are expecting the high-ranking military delegation you have announced and we are preparing for the first meeting of the Joint Government Committee of our two countries. It is supposed to take place in mid-January 1978 in Berlin chaired by members of both leaderships.

Furthermore, the Politburo has decided to temporarily delegate an envoy of the Government of the GDR to Tripoli for the implementation of the far-reaching agreements.

Please again accept, dear Comrade Muammar al-Gaddafi, our sincere thanks and the sentiments of our deep friendship and solidarity.  

With socialist greeting

[handwritten signature] E. Honecker

Erich Honecker

 

Berlin, 20 December 1977

Honecker gives a positive assessment of the consultation between the GDR delegation led by Werner Lamberz in Tripoli in December 1977. He comments on the most common position in the struggle against imperialism in the Arab countries and Africa and commits to extended East German-Libyan cooperation on political, economic and military levels. Honecker confirms the planned visit of a Libyan military delegation to Berlin, the planned first meeting of a common government committee, as well as the deployment of a temporary GDR representative to Tripoli.


Associated People & Organizations

Associated Places


Document Information

Source

SAPMO-BA, IV 2/2.033/125. Translated by Bernd Schaefer.

Rights

The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.

To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at [email protected].

Original Uploaded Date

2011-11-20

Type

Letter

Language

Record ID

110205

Donors

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars