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p It is already a quarter of a century since socialism emerged from the boundaries of one country and became an international force. The socialist revolution was accomplished in a number of countries of Europe and Asia and then spread to the Western Hemisphere as well, triumphing in Cuba.

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p The world socialist system—the greatest achievement of the working class after the October Revolution—is still very young. However, socialism has become firmly established in the world. It has strikingly shown—not only in the Soviet Union but also in other socialist countries—that it can give a correct answer to the cardinal problems facing mankind, an answer beyond the capability of the capitalist world with its long centuries of experience, an answer that really takes the vital interests of the masses into account.

p Historically, as you all know, matters shaped up in such a way that the countries in which the socialist revolution triumphed were not those with the highest level of economic development. But thanks to the new system these countries have made great headway in economic development.

p It would be hard to overestimate the impact that has been made on the masses in the rest of the world by the example of the successful development of the new society in a number of countries in different parts of the world, a society without exploitation, without oppression and oppressors, a society administered for the people by the people. This example inspires hundreds of millions of oppressed people and fills them with hope for a happy future.

p The very fact of the existence of the socialist world is of immense assistance to the working people in the capitalist countries in their struggle for their rights.

p The socialist states have introduced into international life new, unprecedented principles and norms stemming from the ideology of the Communists, from the great and lofty aims of their struggle. The founder of these principles was Lenin, who formulated the fundamentals of socialist foreign policy after the October Revolution.

p Lenin always considered the national and international tasks of the socialist state in their indivisible unity. He called upon our Party and people to fight "for a socialist fatherland, for socialism as a fatherland, for the Soviet Republic as a contingent of the world army of socialism".  [287•1  The founder of the Soviet state held that in building the new life in its own country it was the duty of the Soviet state to support the revolutionary movement of the proletariat in other countries. He showed us the road to 288 friendship and alliance with the peoples of the colonies and semicolonies in order to fight international imperialism together with them. (Applause.)

p Lenin oriented the Soviet state on a consistent policy of peace in defence of the victorious revolution and the common cause of the working people of all countries. It was no accident that the first act of Soviet power written personally by Lenin was the historic Decree on Peace. It was Lenin who advanced the proposition for "peaceful co-habitation" or, as we now call it, peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems, which, thanks to the consistent policy of the socialist states, has today become one of the cardinal principles underlying international relations. Also on Lenin’s initiative one of the very first foreign-policy acts of the Soviet state in the world was to submit a programme for general disarmament and mutually beneficial economic relations with capitalist states.

p For more than half a century the Soviet Union’s foreign policy has been based on Lenin’s ideas and precepts. Written into the decisions of our Party and of the higher organs of the Soviet state they remain the immutable, principled foundation of all the Soviet Union’s actions in the international arena. Today, on this great Lenin centenary, we solemnly repeat to the peoples of the whole world:

p —True to the behests of the great Lenin, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall continue to do everything in its power to enable the peoples of the socialist countries to live in peace and peacefully carry out the great work of building the new society, and to steadfastly strengthen the position of world socialism and the close cooperation and militant unity of the socialist states. (Stormy applause.)

p —The countries pursuing an anti-imperialist policy and the peoples fighting for freedom, against imperialist aggression, shall always have in the person of our country a reliable and true friend and ally. (Applause.)

p —Realistically-minded circles in the bourgeois countries, circles that really recognise the principles of peaceful coexistence, may be confident that in the Soviet Union they will have a partner prepared to promote mutually beneficial co-operation.

p —We shall continue our active efforts to halt the arms race, which is ruinous to the peoples, to secure 289 disarmament and get outstanding issues between states settled on a reasonable foundation, by negotiation.

p Socialist in content, the Leninist foreign policy of the Soviet state is consistently internationalist, genuinely democratic and profoundly peace-loving. It is one of the major sources of the strength and worldwide prestige of our socialist Motherland and world socialism. (Applause.) This is a powerful weapon and we shall make the utmost use of it in our struggle for peace and communism. (Applause.) The principles of socialist foreign policy formulated by Lenin have now become the foundation of the foreign policy line of a whole group of countries belonging to the world socialist system.

p The whole of mankind’s greatest blessing is the fact that the united might of the socialist countries and their active policy in defence of peace fetter the aggressive ambitions of the imperialists and create a decisive obstacle to the unleashing of a world nuclear rocket war by the aggressors. This result of the policy pursued by the socialist countries benefits all mankind.

p Where the imperialists nonetheless take the road of military adventures against a socialist country or have recourse to “quiet” counter-revolution they feel the strength and solidarity of the socialist states.

p Comrades, look what is happening to the US aggression against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the people of South Vietnam. No social system but socialism could have given the liberation struggle of the Vietnamese people such a scale, such organisation, staunchness and tenacity. (Applause.) No political force but the Marxist-Leninist Party could have armed a fighting people with such a lucid understanding of the aims of the struggle and inspired them to the performance of a mass feat. As a result of the heroism of the Vietnamese patriots multiplied by the might of socialist solidarity and by broad assistance from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, the US adventure in Vietnam is suffering failure. (Applause.) The feat of Vietnam will go down in history. Honour and glory to the heroic Vietnamese people! (Prolonged applause.)

p Similarly instructive is the failure of the anti-socialist conspiracy in Czechoslovakia. This was a long-premeditated, demagogy-screened attempt of the remnants of the former exploiting classes in alliance with the Right-wing 290 opportunists and with the support of world imperialism to destroy the foundations of the socialist system in Czechoslovakia, isolate her from the fraternal countries and thereby strike a heavy blow at the positions of socialism in Europe. But the staunchness of the Marxist-Leninist core of the Czechoslovak Communist Party and determined action by Czechs and Slovaks devoted to the cause of socialism and by allied countries loyal to the principles of socialist internationalism frustrated the dangerous plans of enemies aimed against the common interests of socialism and, in the long run, against peace in the European continent. (Applause.) This was further proof of the great significance of the internationalist solidarity of the socialist countries. Today our friends and our enemies have no doubt about the efficacy of its strength, and that is very good. (Applause.)

p Comrades, each of the independent countries in the world socialist system has accomplished the transition from capitalism to socialism in its own way and resolves a number of tasks of socialist construction, common to all, by its own specific methods.

p Lenin foresaw this diversity of "ways, methods and means of moving to the common goal”. As early as 1916 he formulated his famous conclusion on this question: "All nations,” he wrote, "will arrive at socialism—this is inevitable, but all will do so in not exactly the same way, each will contribute something of its own to some form of democracy, to some variety of the dictatorship of the proletariat, to the varying rate of socialist transformations in the different aspects of social life."  [290•1 

p That is what has actually taken place. The uniqueness of the concrete historical situation, the diversity of local conditions and the different and sometimes more or less successful approaches to the solution of some problems of socialist construction have given rise to a number of features in the development of individual socialist countries. However, these are features within the framework of a single, common process developing under identical laws. Local conditions are taken into consideration in the building of socialism not for the sake of splintering the common revolutionary front but of attaining the common goal more surely and effectively and hastening the triumph of the new system and uniting 291 the socialist forces of different countries. That is how this problem was understood by Lenin, who was a confirmed internationalist. That is how it is understood by the Communists of the socialist countries, who are continuing Lenin’s work. (Applause.)

p Historical experience has clearly borne out Lenin’s proposition that the different features in the development of the socialist countries ”. . .can apply only to what is of lesser importance".  [291•1  The main thing is that the road to socialism and the system itself are characterised, as is emphasised by the fraternal Parties, by a number of fundamental laws that are inherent in the socialist society of any country.

p Experience shows that the road of different countries to socialism is marked by such major common milestones as the socialist revolution in one form or another, including the smashing and replacement of the state machine of the exploiters; the establishment of one or another form of the dictatorship of the proletariat in alliance with other strata of the working people, and the abolition of the exploiting classes; the socialisation of the means of production and the consolidation of socialist relations of production and other social relations in town and countryside; the bringing of cultural values within the reach of the masses of working people, i.e., the cultural revolution in Lenin’s meaning of the word.

p On the other hand, when we speak of the main features of socialism that has been built, this question is likewise clear to Communists. It is clear to us today not only from the theoretical propositions of Marxist teaching but also from the experience of development gained by the socialist countries. What are these features? They are the power of the working people with the vanguard role exercised by the working class and the leadership of social development provided by the Marxist-Leninist Party; public ownership of the means of production and, on its basis, the planned development of the national economy on the highest technological level for the benefit of the whole people; the implementation of the principle "from each according to his ability, to each according to his work”; the education of the whole people in the spirit of the ideology of scientific 292 communism, in a spirit of friendship with the peoples of the fraternal socialist countries and the working people of the whole world; and lastly, a foreign policy founded on the principles of proletarian, socialist internationalism.

p All these general, basic elements of socialism are of decisive significance.

p The development and strengthening of the world socialist system are the most valuable contribution of the peoples of the socialist countries to the common revolutionary cause of Communists and the anti-imperialist struggle of the masses throughout the world. Imperialism is waging a dogged savage struggle in various forms against the world socialist system. It seeks to hinder its economic growth, restrict its influence over the peoples of the world, poison it ideologically and split and isolate it politically. For that reason the recent International Meeting of fraternal Parties put forward in its Main Document the exceedingly important proposition: "The defence of socialism is the internationalist duty of Communists.” (Applause.)

p Comrades, the task of strengthening the unity and promoting all-round co-operation among the socialist countries is becoming particularly pressing and important today.

p The victory of socialism in a number of countries has made it possible to establish between them relations of a new type—fraternal relations based on the principles of socialist internationalism. Genuine equality and respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty are combined in these relations with comradely mutual assistance, socialist solidarity and a joint struggle for common aims and ideals.

p However, experience shows that these relations between socialist countries do not take shape automatically; to mould and develop them and surmount the difficulties and contradictions that sometimes arise, the socialist states and their ruling Parties have to pursue a principled, internationalist policy.

p Regrettably, we sometimes get cases of co-operation between socialist countries being disrupted in a most serious manner. This is shown, for instance, by the present state of China’s relations with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. This situation is obviously the result of the nationalistic policy of the Chinese leadership and its rupture with the principles laid down by Lenin.

p Today, as we mark the Lenin jubilee, I should like to 293 recall the attitude of Sun Yat-sen, the great Chinese revolutionary and democrat, to Lenin and his teaching. This is what he said:

p “In the course of the many centuries of world history there have been thousands of leaders and scholars with eloquent words on their lips that were never translated into reality. You, Lenin, are the exception. You not only spoke and taught, but translated your words into reality. You created a new country. You showed us the road of joint struggle. On your road you have encountered thousands of obstacles, which I am encountering on my road. I want to follow your road, and although my enemies are against this, my people will laud me for it.” (Stormy, prolonged applause.)

p These are fine words, comrades! It is precisely by jointly following the road charted by Lenin, by waging a joint struggle against the sinister forces of imperialist reaction, for the triumph of the sacred cause of socialism and communism that the correct prospect is opened for the future development of relations between China and the Soviet Union, and between China and other socialist countries.

p Practice shows that nothing good comes of a departure from socialist internationalism, from its replacement by nationalism and chauvinism. Such a policy, naturally, does not conform either to the interests of the world socialist system as a whole, or to the interests of the revolutionary process throughout the world. But it is fully in line with interests of the imperialists, who are delighted by every sign of a weakening of the unity of the socialist countries and are prepared to help to shake this unity in every way they can.

p The enemies of socialism are the only ones who benefit by the virulent anti-Soviet campaign that has been conducted in China during the past few years. Lately it has been carried on under the screen of an alleged threat from the Soviet Union. By their actions against the country of Lenin and against the world communist movement the initiators of this campaign expose themselves before the masses as apostates of the revolutionary cause of Lenin.

p As regards the Soviet Union, we take a resolute stand for socialist internationalism and the restoration of good 294 relations between socialist countries wherever they have been broken. We shall not be found wanting. The Central Committee of the CPSU and the Soviet Government shall continue to work actively and consistently in this direction in a Leninist way. (Stormy, prolonged applause.)

p Lenin tirelessly emphasised the vital importance of unity, the need for close and all-sided fraternal co-operation among peoples who have taken the road to socialism. We Soviet Communists are true to Lenin’s behests. We are doing, as we always have done, everything in our power to promote political and economic co-operation among socialist states and their ideological unity. (Applause.)

p On this point Lenin wrote: "We . . . who are faced by a huge front of imperialist powers, we, who are fighting imperialism, represent an alliance that requires close military unity, and any attempt to violate this unity we regard as absolutely impermissible, as a betrayal of the struggle against international imperialism."  [294•1  To this day we regard these words as a sacred behest to all contingents of the socialist front fighting imperialism in the Leninist way. (Applause.) Remembering these words, we shall bend every effort to make the Warsaw Treaty Organisation, the military alliance of the socialist countries, still more powerful and to strengthen the joint defence capability of the socialist states. (Prolonged applause.)

The historical role played today by the world socialist system, vanguard of mankind’s social development, is great and lofty. It has entered our complex and turbulent epoch as the embodiment of the age-old dream of the working people and exploited masses of all countries, as a sentence passed on the forces of reaction, oppression and aggression, as the mighty bulwark of all fighters for freedom, independence and lasting peace, as a symbol of hope and an earnest of the future happiness of all peoples. For a Communist today, for every person who is true to the teaching and cause of the great Lenin, no duty is higher than that of contributing to the further development of the world socialist system, to the cause of strengthening its might, cohesion and unity. (Stormy, prolonged applause.)