ABSTRACT
The task of this final chapter is to draw together the elements of the relationship between OPEC and the ldcs that have been assessed piece by piece in the preceding chapters. In so doing it is concerned in particular to assess the extent of the ‘solidarity’ that is alleged to exist between OPEC and the rest of the ‘Group of 77’ in the developing world. While the topic of relations between members of the Third World is intrinsically interesting, it particularly invites study because of the frequency with which the congruence of interests between OPEC and ldcs is asserted. The introduction began by suggesting that the matrix of relationships fashioned over the 1970s was perceived differently by different members of both groups, was accorded different priorities as time passed, and came to be seen both as an asset and as a liability. Moreover, since the two sets of countries mentioned above can only be dichotomised and treated as coherent, mutually exclusive sets for the crudest analysis, any deeper assessment requires that the relevant tensions within each group also be taken into consideration. The following sections therefore present a tour d'horizon of the major political issues in the OPEC-ldc relationship.
