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p The world socialist system is a social, economic and political commonwealth oi tree, sovereign nations building socialism and communism and united by common interests and aims, by close international socialist solidarity. These are a qualitatively new type of economic and political relations between countries that have taken shape on the basis of a profound community of economic, 62 political and ideological interests. The economic founda tion of the socialist community is public ownership of the means of production. Its political foundation comprises the power of the people headed by the working class and its Marxist parties. Ideologically it rests on MarxistLeninist philosophy.

p The relations between socialist countries are founded on steadily growing economic, political and cultural cooperation and mutual assistance, which draw them ever closer together for the attainment of the common goal. The basic principles governing these relations are complete equality of big and small countries, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, respect for each other’s national sovereignty, territorial integrity, fraternal economic mutual aid and close co-operation in all spheres of social life. The progressive drawing together of peoples, accomplished on the basis of these principles, is on objective law of the development of the world socialist system.

p The forms by which the socialist peoples are drawn together, i.e., the forms of their co-operation and mutual aid are extremely diverse.

p In the economic sphere the socialist countries render each other the utmost help in building up a modern industry, achieving a high rate of economic growth, raising the level of labour productivity and, on that foundation, boosting the people’s standard of living and cultural level, and training specialists and scientists.

p In recent years the socialist countries have been promoting direct production co-operation through the co-ordination of economic development plans and the specialisation and co-operation of industries on a voluntary basis with complete equality of the partners. This direct production co-operation is effected under bilateral and multilateral agreements signed through the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA), an international economic organisation of the European socialist countries set up in 1949. Economic co-operation is helping the socialist countries to make the best use of their raw material and power resources. The giant Friendship oil pipeline, stretching for 4,500 kilometres from the oilfields on the Volga to the German Democratic Republic, has been built jointly by the U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and the 63 G.D.R. The Peace power grid, serving several European socialist countries, and a commonly-owned fleet of 100,000 railway carriages are in operation. Mineral mining and processing plants are being built jointly. Trade among the socialist countries is increasing steadily: in the period 1961-65 trade between the U.S.S.R. and CMEA members alone rose from 5,600 million to 8,500 million rubles.

p Scientific and technical co-operation among the socialist countries is being furthered on a steadily growing scale through exchanges between research institutes, and the training of specialists and scientists in countries where the best facilities are available for such training. This is helping to speed up research, avoid duplication and use scientific and technical cadres and equipment most rationally.

p Thanks to expanding political co-operation among them, the socialist countries are able to work out a common line of action in dealing with major international and internal social problems, jointly combat imperialist reaction, and promote peace, socialism and social progress. This is facilitated by exchanges of Government and Party delegations, friendly talks, exchanges of information, and conferences on various issues.

p In face of the growing aggressiveness of imperialism, the socialist countries attach great importance to military co-operation. This finds expression in the further strengthening and improvement of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation, which is a reliable shield protecting the gains of the socialist countries. The Warsaw Treaty armies are enhancing co-ordination on land, in the air and at sea and cementing their fraternal bonds.

Cultural co-operation is enabling the socialist countries to further and reciprocally enrich their national cultures.