p We should finally like to set out in brief our opinion about the draft documents worked out by the Preparatory Committee, an opinion which has already been indirectly expressed in the foregoing part of this statement.

p Yesterday, we all adopted a document of solidarity with the people of Vietnam. We-express agreement with the draft Appeal in Defence of Peace, and the document on the celebration of the centenary of Lenin’s birth.

p As for the draft Main Document submitted for our consideration, our Party’s representatives set out our positions at all the sittings held to prepare our Meeting. The last plenary meeting of our Central Committee has reaffirmed our stand. We agree with the platform of action set out in Section Three of the draft Document, apart from the reservations over some formulations on which we motioned amendments.

p Our support for this section of the Document means that we undertake to dedicate our strength to realising the mapped out plan of struggle.

p In respect of the other sections of the Document, we have, on the contrary, put forward; and continue to put forward objections.

p It is not only a question of partial objections to this or that formulation. It is also and specifically a question of our objection relating to the very structure of the Document.

p Indeed, as we have already said, we believe that while it is possible in the present conditions to co-ordinate the common tasks of the struggle, the situation is not yet ripe for drawing common conclusions on many of the political and fundamental questions raised in the Document. Of course, these questions have to be discussed by us, as is already being done in the frank and exhaustive exchange of opinion unfolding at this Meeting. We consider this discussion and its publicity a positive fact, because we think that this can also help to enhance the prestige of our movement and to induce Communists and working people all over the world to make an ever more active and conscious contribution to the cause of our unity. But discussion is one thing, and conclusions drawn from it are another. We feel that the situation is not yet such as to make it possible to provide answers in the Document to many important questions: these answers would only seem to be unanimous, While in fact covering up differences, including some deep ones which have beefi fully revealed in the course of the discussion in this hall.

p Conversely, unanimous conclusions on a number of concrete political tasks stated in Section Three of the Document correspond to the identity of views which is actually evident from the stands taken by all the Parties here represented, and also of some of the other Communist Parties not represented here. f.ome say that it is impossible to co-ordinate such a platform for united action unless there is agreement on the scientific analysis of the situation. We feel that this is a highly debatable point.

p On the other hand, we are in serious doubt about the scientific character of some aspects of the analysis contained in the Document. In style, the Document is more frequently couched in invocatory-propagandist rather than analytical terms, and this makes it impossible to catch the great novelty, wealth 392 and complexity of the processes of development of the modern world revolutionary movement. In addition, there are some flaws in it relating to far from secondary aspects of the international situation. The Document, for instance, underrates the difficulties, the setbacks and the contradictions which have been observed in the socialist camp and the working-class movement, and fails to examine their causes. As it is, however, these facts exert a weighty influence not only on our movement but on- the whole world situation. We also find unsatisfactory that part of the Document which deals with the socialist countries and the problems of socialism. The Document gives an impression of socialism as something uniform, in its essential features at any rate, while this does not accord with and in part contradicts the type of socialist society for which we call upon the working class and working people of our country to struggle.

p As for the difficulties of the socialist countries, the Document virtually limits itself to the assertion that "socialism is not afflicted with the contradictions inherent in capitalism". This is right, but it is not enough.

p We have expressed our resolutely critical remarks also on that part of the draft Document (Section Four) which looks at the relations between Communist Parties. It says there, in particular, that these relations must be based on the principles of proletarian internationalism, mutual solidarity, complete respect for independence, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other Parties. These are correct principles. But in the practical application of these principles there recently arose differences which persist to this day and cannot be ignored.

p For all these reasons we have proposed that the Meeting should, adopt a Document consisting of the introductory part and the programme of action set forth in Section Three, which meets with the approval of all the Parties here represented, and at the same time take a decision to continue discussion in various forms and joint research into the questions which remain open. We felt it to be our duty to expound our stand in the most sincere way, reiterating that the line approved by our CC allows us to back only that part of the Document which outlines our common action programme.

p Comrades, you may have seen from our whole statement on which points -our stand coincides and on which it differs from the stand of other Parties.

As for us, the existence of these differences does not in any way lessen the respect we have for the opinions and demands expressed by other Parties. Similarly, this will not upset the line of internationalist solidarity on which our relations with all Communists Parties have always rested and will continue to rest.