p The Leninist principle that the struggle against imperialism and the struggle against opportunism are bound up with each other, and the Leninist implacable stand against revisionism, in every form and manifestation, were broadly reflected in the speeches at the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties, and in the decisions it adopted.

p “The policy of joint anti-imperialist action demands that the ideological and political role of the Marxist-Leninist Parties in the world revolutionary process should be enhanced. Marching in the front ranks of the revolutionary, liberation and democratic movements, Communists will continue to fight uncompromisingly against bourgeois ideology... they will consistently uphold their principles ... in accordance with the concrete situation, fight against Right and Leftopportunist distortions of theory and policy, against revisionism, dogmatism and Left-sectarian adventurism.”  [330•1 

p Addressing the Meeting on June 7, 1969, L. I. Brezhnev said: “We cannot afford to ignore the divergences existing in the communist movement today and pretend they do not exist. These differences have been largely caused by the penetration into the communist movement of revisionist influences both of a Right and of a “Left” nature. And these influences are making themselves felt not only in the sphere of ’pure’ theory. Revisionism in theory paves the way to opportunist practices, which inflict direct harm on the antiimperialist struggle. Revisionism is a departure from proletarian class positions, a substitution for Marxism-Leninism of all sorts of bourgeois and petty-bourgeois concepts, old and modernistic.

p “We share the stand of the fraternal Parties which in their decisions draw attention to the need for resolutely combating this danger. The Communist Parties justly believe that the interests of their own cohesion, the interests of the whole anti-imperialist movement insistently demand an intensification of the struggle against revisionism and both Right and “Left” opportunism. A principled stand on this 331 issue has always been a most important condition for strengthening a Party’s political positions and has always mobilised and enhanced the activity of Communists in the class struggle.”  [331•1 

p L. I. Brezhnev also gave a clear-cut definition of the substance of present-day revisionism, whether Right or “Left”. He said: “Right-wing opportunism means a slide-down to liquidationist positions and to conciliation with Social Democracy in policy and ideology. In socialist countries, Rightwing opportunism goes to the length of repudiating the leading role of the Marxist-Leninist Party, and this can lead to surrender of the positions won by socialism and to capitulation to the anti-socialist forces.

p “‘Left-wing’ opportunists, behind a barrage of ultra- revolutionary verbiage, push the masses into adventurist action, and the Party onto a sectarian path, which paralyses its ability to rally the fighters against imperialism.”  [331•2 

Lenin’s ideological legacy, and the concrete analysis of the specific features of revisionism, whether Right or “Left”, are of invaluable importance for successful struggle against every brand of revisionism.