p The world socialist system is a social, economic and political community of free, sovereign peoples, having 317 embarked on the socialist ahd communist path, and united by an identity of interests and goals and the close bonds of international socialist solidarity. The states of this system occupy a large territory of Europe, Asia and Latin America. The socialist community is the most dynamic, economically stable and progressive force in the world. The CMEA membercountries alone, which account for just slightly over 10 per cent of the earth’s population, produce more than 33 per cent of world industrial output.

p The world socialist system is a qualitatively new type of economic and political relations between countries. These relations are based on the identity of their economic and political interests and the single Marxist-Leninist ideology. Social ownership of the means of production is the economic foundation of the socialist system. Its political foundation is the rule of the people headed by the working class. Its ideological foundation is the theory of Marxism-Leninism. Socialist countries have one goal—the building of socialism and communism.

p Full equality of states, big and small, non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, fraternal economic assistance, close cooperation in the economic, political and cultural spheres—these are the basic principles underlying the relations between the socialist countries.

p The forms of cooperation and mutual assistance between the socialist countries are very diverse. In the economic sphere they are expressed in the socialist economic integration, the coordination of national economic plans, specialisation and cooperation of production, all-round scientific and technical cooperation, etc. In the political sphere they consist in joint struggle against imperialist reaction, for peace, socialism, and social progress. In the sphere of culture they are manifested in ever wider and multifarious cultural cooperation between the socialist countries, resulting in greater mutual enrichment of their national cultures.

The establishment of a new type of relations and cooperation between socialist countries is a fairly complicated process, with its specific difficulties and problems. The reason is that these countries have different levels of economic and cultural development, different histories, 318 traditions and customs. Moreover, as the peoples draw closer together they have to overcome the survivals of the past, and particularly of nationalism, in their consciousness. Hence the need to strengthen the unity of the socialist countries which multiplies the might of socialism and helps it to successfully counter the forces of imperialist reaction. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union makes every effort to promote the cohesion of the socialist community on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, and to enhance its might and influence; it broadens economic, scientific, technical and ideological cooperation and cultural links, and educates the Soviet people in the spirit of friendship and international solidarity with the peoples of the fraternal countries.