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3 ROMANIAN-SERBIAN RELATIONS (1859—1866) 209

examinant les faits qui se sont produits depuis un an, dans les Prineipautós-Unies, on peut des aujourd’hui rópondre par l’affirmative”.¹

On the International piane, the relations between the United Prin-cipalities and Serbia had the following common aims : abolishment of the Ottoman suzerainty, maintained by the Paris Treaty of March 30, 1865 j the fight against the Hapsburgian rule that claimed certain terri-tories which, according to the principle of self-determination and the constitution of the national unitary States, were due to be included m the territory of the United Principalities and Serbia respectiyely ; co-ordination of their policies, in face of diplomatic aetiyity of the Great Powers in South-Eastern Europę; the progressiye conąuest of those attributes of sovereignty ensuring the quahtative leap represented by the acquisition of State independence and national unity; to support all the peoples in South-Eastern Europę fighting for their freedom as well as good neigh-bour relations with all States especially those in this part of Europę.

We may quote several characteristic stages inthe progressiye curtail-ment of the Ottoman suzerainty oyer the South-Eastern European countries, aiming at abolishing it: Personal Union of the Romanian Principalities, January 5 and 24, 1859; Politieal Union, December 1861; its international recognition, in June 1864, in defiance of the policy carried out by Turkey and Austria. ²

Following the yiolent clashes between the Belgrade population and the Turkish garrison, clashes that occurred in June 1862, Serbia gained a morę favourable international position, embodied in the Protocol of September 1862, signed by the guaranteeing powers.³ Regarding the pro-gress achieyed by Serbia in obtaining the absolute and complete abolishment of the Ottoman rule, C. Negri, the United Principalities’ agent at Constantinople, reported to Cuza, the ruling Prince : „U parait positif que les Serbes vont demander, non seulement le dśpart des Turcs qui

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1

Ibidem. “Les nationalitćs serbe, roumaine, bulgare, herzegovienne, macćdonienne, rou-mólienne, montćnignenne, etc. — the “Europę” newspaper of Apnl 7, 1864 points out on tlie same linę —, reparaissent plus vivaces que jamais .. et demandent avec insistance une orgam-sation, ni moins bonne, ni moins complfcte, que 1’organisation politique et sociale des autres peu-ples de TEurope

2

* See the Protocol of September 6, 1859, the Constantinople agreement, December 1861, the Constantinople Protocol, June 28, 1864, in Archwes Diplomatiques_f vol. II, Pans, 1866, p. 166 — 168 ; 200 — 202; 230 — 232; See also G G Florescu, Unele aspecte ale pozifici Internationale a Jdnlor Romdne tn perioada Unim (Some aspects of the International position of the Romanian Principalities dunng the Union period) in “Studn $i cer-celSri jundice” (Studies and jundical researches, Year IV (1959) no. 1, pp 135 — 166; D Berindei, Lupta diplomaticó. a Pnncipatclor Unitę pentru dcs&ulręirca uniru (24 lanuarie 1850—24 lanuarie 1862) (The diplomatic struggle of the United Principalities for the accom-plishment of their Union, January 24, 1859 — January 24, 1862), in “Studn pnvind um-rea Principatelor“ (Studies relating to the Union of the Romanian Principalities) Ed Acad. R.PR., Bucharest, 1960, p. 413-449.

3

See Archwes diplomatiqu.es, vol. I, Pans, 1863, p. 234 — 244; Cf. Correspondence relating to the bombardment of Belgrade in June 1862_f London, 1863.