p Comrades, the main thing in the Communist Party’s work is to map out the general prospects of social development, chart a correct political line and organise the working people to implement it. Our entire reality shows that the CPSU is honourably discharging its role of political 427 leader of the working class and all working people, and guides the Soviet people along the correct way indicated by Lenin. (Applause.) The larger the scale of our creative work and the more difficult the problems that have to be tackled, the greater become the role and responsibility of the Communist Party, which leads the masses.

Our Congress will determine the political line and the concrete programme of work for the coming five-year period. In order to fulfil this programme successfully it will be necessary to mobilise all the strength of the Party and of the people. The forms and methods of the organisational and political work of the Party organisations and their leadership of economic and cultural development must conform as fully as possible with the spirit of our times and with the big tasks that the 24th Congress of the CPSU will set before the Party and the country.