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p Comrades,

p I convey, on behalf of the Central Committee of our Party, comradely greetings to the representatives of fraternal Parties assembled here to take part in the third International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties. We thank the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party, which has played an important part in the work of the Preparatory Committee by its active co-operation in the organisational and political preparation of this Meeting. We fraternally salute and sincerely and warmly thank the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for the generous hospitality which, as always, it has extended to its comrades-in-arms.

p The important complicated work which the Preparatory Committee has performed in drafting the documents we are now discussing in an atmosphere of frankness and fraternity, deserves a high appraisal by virtue of the democratic spirit which characterised this work due to the contribution of the delegations of all the fraternal Parties present here.

p Comrades, the San Marino Communist Party is on the threshold of crucial pre-election struggle. In September we shall appear before the electorate from whom we await an appraisal of the work done by us, an expression of confidence, and approval of the programme which we will submit to our fellowcitizens.

p It will be a strenuous struggle, for the Communists, Socialists and all the democrats of San Marino are faced with an impudent enemy who will employ every trick to escape defeat.

p Our Party has confidence in the voters, for it has been waging hard struggles for the economic, social and professional demands of the working class and all working people and organising large-scale unitary actions on issues affecting all social strata of our people, and invariably combating and exposing the harm being done to the country and to the entire society by the policy of the present government.

p Our Party has been resolutely opposing the conformist policy of the present ruling group, which subordinates our state to the intentions of the Rome government, sacrifices our rights as a sovereign state and collaborates in the 628 strangling of our economy by big Italian monopolies which perniciously influence the entire economic life of San Marino. Our Party is combating the San Marino government’s Atlantism which is plainly ridiculous, considering the position of our country. All these years our Party has been fighting against corruption, blackmail and discrimination—methods on which the present Demochristian and Social-Democratic government rests.

p For these reasons our Party, in keeping with its political line, will wage a struggle on the basis of a democratic renovation programme aimed at securing the unity of the Left democratic and Socialist forces so as to eventually build a new majority capable of solving San Marino’s problems in conformity with the aspirations of the vast majority of the citizens of our republic.

p Our Party is concentrating on the following principal problems:

p —improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the working people—the immediate aim of the actions and unceasing, rapidly multiplying strikes;

p —a modern and democratic Constitution;

p —equality of women before law;

p —the right to work and protection of the rights of the working people;

p —democratic economic programming;

p —a new convention with the Italian government to guarantee our republic’s prerogatives as a sovereign and independent state.

p The repeal of the fraudulent electoral law, which undeservedly gave the Demochristians four seats on the Grand Council, facilitates the advance of the San Marino Left.

p In addition, it is very important for us that both working-class parties, Communist and Socialist, have agreed on a unitary platform. The Socialist Party declared at its last congress that there can be no Left unity without Communists.

p Comrades, the third International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties is taking place in the year of the 50th anniversary of the Communist International. Since then, giant forward strides have been made and the ideals of socialism and communism have gained tremendous popularity. History has confirmed that the victory of the October Revolution ushered in the era of socialism.

p The present international situation is complicated and fraught with dangers. This calls for serious efforts and unity of the communist movement and the anti-imperialist forces.

p On the one hand, we are witnessing aggressive and adventuristic moves by the big imperialist powers, especially the United States; on the other, we see substantial indications of hesitancy and contradictions in the international policy of a number of capitalist countries tied to the chariot of Atlantism, indecision and vacillation which are deepening parallel with the growth of the struggle of the broad masses to avert a world conflict that would endanger the very existence of the human race.

p Hence the need for ever greater mobilisation of the peace-loving and antiimperialist forces to guarantee the peoples a new course in international relations.

p In our modest opinion, it is necessary that, in keeping with the conditions 629 of its country and its own possibilities, every Party should wage a flexible and differentiated fight for the unity of all the peace-loving, democratic and progressive forces active in all countries, the United States included, for peaceful coexistence that would ensure peace on earth and at the same time success of the struggle for national liberation and genuine economic and political independence.

p Comrades, at this moment a new situation is shaping up, and the approach to this situation cannot be static, for the fight against the policy of Atlantic submissiveness is being joined by new social strata, including broad Catholic masses, augmenting the ranks of the peace forces. The youth, the intelligentsia, the students are in ferment and, expressing their protest in most diverse forms, are fighting for freedom, democracy and socialism.

p Thus, the problem confronting our movement is one of establishing with these forces—in separate regions and countries—relations of co-operation in the world-wide anti-imperialist struggle.

p This necessitates elaboration of a policy of links and contacts to organise joint action with all movements striving for the triumph of the principles of peaceful coexistence.

p Consequently, Communists should guide and head the masses in actions which, making proper use of the centrifugal processes within imperialism, would foil the imperialists’ designs.

p We thereby return to the need to orientate the fight for peace on precise and concrete political aims.

p It is precisely on this basis that effective unity of action on an international scale can be restored and broadened, despite the divergences in our movement and the ideological disparities among the steadily growing peace-loving and progressive forces of the whole world.

p It follows from this that each Communist Party, proceeding from the principles of Marxism-Leninism and taking into account the concrete national conditions, should independently determine its policy and the forms and methods of its struggle and freely chart its own road of transition to socialism, peaceful or non-peaceful, depending on the situation, as well as forms and methods of building socialism in its country.

p In view of all this, our Party considers that the obstacles that are arising on the way to complete and effective unity cannot be surmounted without a patient investigation of the causes of the existing divergences, without elucidating the underlying economic, political and national factors.

p In our opinion, we should, without reservations and^ears, apply ourselves to this investigation, because the sharp conflicts and ineradicable contradictions inherent in the capitalist camp can, under certain circumstances and despite their being an indication of its weakness, gravely jeopardise universal peace, for they do not cancel out imperialism’s aggressive nature.

p As regards the divergences in our movement, they are certainly less significant than that which unites and can unite us. But there should be no place for an ostrich-like course. The most alarming fact is that the disagreements between the two biggest socialist countries are deepening rather than diminishing, because the leading group in the CPG persists in its divisive work in the 630 Communist Parties and in its anti-Soviet campaign which is extremely harmful, pernicious to the cause of peace, freedom and socialism.

p This behaviour only encourages imperialism in its aggressive and provocative actions.

p We declare that there should be no place for anti-Sovietism in our great family of revolutionaries.

p Our Party resolutely condemned and rejected the absurd positions of the GPC leading group, which are doing grave harm to the entire communist and working-class movement, to the struggle of the oppressed peoples and to the entire international democratic and anti-imperialist front.

p It is obvious to us all that the USSR is the main force of the entire communist and anti-imperialist front. The Soviet Union plays a key role in international contacts and relations owing to the high prestige and influence that its correct policy of peace has won it in the world; owing to the attraction exerted on the masses the world over by its stupendous economic and social, technical and scientific achievements; owing to its economic potential and colossal military might which, together with that of other socialist countries, defends the borders of the socialist camp and helps the peoples waging an armed, struggle against imperialism.

p The Soviet Union has rendered and continues to render important assistance to the struggle of the Vietnamese people, who, thanks to it, will drive the American invaders out of their country. Soviet assistance enables Cuba to continue the building of socialism and the Arab peoples to continue the fight against the perfidious Israeli aggression, for the return of their lands seixed by Israel.

p Taking into consideration this reality, we affirm that the behaviour of the Chinese comrades not only causes confusion, disorientation and bitterness among the working class and all fighters against imperialism, but seriously damages the interests of the People’s Republic of China. This policy leads to the isolation of the Chinese people from those who are and should be their truest and most reliable ally in the building of socialism in China.

p Our criticism of these erroneous actions is constructive and aimed at helping the Communist Party and people of China to return to the positions of MarxismLeninism, to the great revolutionary family.

p In connection with everything that has been said, I repudiate anti-Sovietism and declare, on behalf of the San Marino Communist Party, full solidarity with the great Communist Party of the Soviet Union, its government and the Soviet peoples who by rendering selfless material assistance to the oppressed peoples deprive themselves of part of their resources, which is a great example of solidarity and internationalism,

p AS concerns the events currently taking place in our movement, the San Marino Communist Party, cognisant of the responsibility to its people, is steadfastly combating opportunist and nationalist trends as well as all manifestations of Leftism, schematicism and revisionism in any form.

p Comrades, while taking into consideration the leading role of the USSR and the socialist countries, we should emphasise the role of the working class in the capitalist countries, which shows by its struggle that it is far from having been integrated into the capitalist system; we should also stress the importance 631 of the strenuous antHinperialjst struggle of the peoples of the Thjrdi World.

p Comrades, we are living through the period of a great historical confrontation of two opposing systems—socialist and capitalist,

p We think that in this decisive confrontation the struggle against imperialism and its policy should be given an impetus for further development. This calls for new effective unity of action by the socialist countries, the communist movement and all forces striving for a democratic future, peace a,nd prosperity.

p This struggle should be waged for the following objectives:

p <—abolition of military blocs;

p —complete observance of the UN Charter;

p —an end to the aggression against the heroic people of Vietnam;

p —withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territories seized during the six-day war against the Arab countries;

p —peaceful settlement of disputed international issues through negotiation, against the use of force or threats;

p —triumph of the policy of detente and of the principles of peaceful coexistence, which rule out interference in the internal affairs of other states;

p —elimination of misery zones and provision of considerable aid to the underdeveloped countries to promote their economic and social advancement in conditions of freedom and national independence;

p —greater activity in deciding the questions of European security raised by the Karlovy Vary Conference and the Warsaw Treaty Political Consultative Committee, to turn Europe into a zone of peace and ensure that it should belong to Europeans;

p —respect for the borders established as a result of the Second World War, and recognition of both German states;

p —reinstatement of People’s China in its rights of a great power in the UNO;

p —recognition of the GDR, the Korean People’s Democratic Republic and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam;

p —dismantling of all military bases on foreign territory.

p In this struggle our entire movement should find a basis for unity in which the position of every Party and every socialist state would be reflected.

p Comrades, I want to say in conclusion that our Party as represented by its Central Committee has thoroughly studied the Main Document of our Meeting. In our humble opinion, this Document ought to have been made more understandable to the working classes. As we see it, some points of it ought to have been formulated more profoundly.

p It asserts some general correct principles which, however, have not always been implemented in practice, and there remain some unclear points which should be elucidated in the nearest future.

p We fully agree with Section Three of the Document, which contains a platform for unity of action. But I want to declare also that, although criticisms and objections have been made, it should be frankly admitted that the Document drafted by the Preparatory Committee contains new propositions and looks better than previous documents.

p It should be made clear that our attitude stems from a desire to go on making our modest contribution to the search for new unity, invariably retaining 632 confidence, admiration and affection for the great socialist country, the homeland of the great Lenin, for all socialist countries, to which we extend wishes of new successes, for all the fraternal Parties present and absent, so that at the nearest bilateral and multilateral meetings it would be possible to restore that spirit of unity which distinguishes the principles of Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism which inspire us.

Comrades, our Party accepts the other documents without any reservations, with the pledge that we shall celebrate the great Lenin’s birth anniversary with the solemnity worthy of the memory and ideas of Lenin, the great fighter for the cause of the oppressed and the great revolutionary leader.