p The national liberation movement is of tremendous importance to the development of modern history and a crucial factor of social progress. It is a component of the single world revolutionary process of our day.

p The peoples of the new sovereign states, which have risen on the ruins of the colonial empires, come forward as builders of a new life, as active participants in world politics. They play an immense role in resolving the main problem of modern times, that of averting another world war, of preserving and consolidating peace. With the peoples of the socialist countries they form two-thirds of mankind, a powerful force that can curb the imperialist aggressors.

p The significance of the national liberation movement is that it deals the political, economic and military-strategic positions of imperialism crushing blows.

p The disintegration of the colonial system is sapping the economic strength  [114•*  of the imperialist countries inasmuch as it has perceptibly narrowed down the sphere of profitable investment, the relatively stable and, mainly, vast markets, and sources of cheap raw material and manpower.

p Moreover, the liberated countries themselves are reaping benefits from the collapse of colonialism. Having won political independence, they are able to promote their economy and culture, and choose the road of social development. Some of them have given indications of an aspiration to make a clean break with capitalism and follow the noncapitalist road.

Thus, the main significance of the national liberation movement is that it undermines imperialism, destroying its immediate reserves and helping mankind to move from capitalism to socialism. For that reason the Communist and Workers’ Parties have assessed the disintegration of colonialism as “second in historic importance only to the formation of the world socialist system".