By reconfirming the existence of the rights and responsibilities of the Four Powers for the future of Berlin and Germany as a whole (which the Soviets claimed to have abrogated as a result of the Berlin crisis of 1959–1962), the Agreement laid the foundation for a series of East-West agreements which ushered in the period usually known as Détente. It also reestablished ties between the two parts of Berlin, improved travel and communications between the two parts of the city and brought numerous improvements for the residents of the Western Sectors.