p Soviet-African economic and technical cooperation has several distinguishing features. First and foremost, the Soviet Union assists in the construction of industrial enterprises and other projects in the slate sector of the economy. This enables its partners rationally to utilise manpower, financial and natural resources and improve their socio-economic structure and also strengthens the position of the forces fighting for radical socio-economic transformations in the interest of the working people.

p Soviet economic and technical cooperation with the developing countries has a composite nature. This means that cooperation in the construction of each individual project usually includes the entire volume of work, i.e., research, designing, estimating, construction, and installation, adjustment and starting of machines, and also assistance in the exploitation of the project until its full capacity is attained. Thanks to this nature of cooperation the developing countries can assimilate and utilise the technical knowhow and experience of Soviet specialists at all the stages of construction and exploitation of the projects involved. Exports of Soviet equipment and materials for the construction of ready-for-operation enterprises amounted to 339 million rubles in the period from 1961 to 1965, 444 million from 1966 to 1970, and 553 million from 1971 to 1975.

p It is also important for the African countries that their economic cooperation with the USSR is stable owing to the planned nature of the Soviet economy and their long-term agreements with the USSR.

p New trends have recently appeared in the Soviet Union’s economic cooperation with African countries. In the first place, durable, long-term economic ties are being established with a number of them, which stimulate trade and enhance the efficiency of social production in which both the African countries and the Soviet Union are interested. The construction of a number of projects in Algeria, Guinea and some other countries was an example of such cooperation. The expenses incurred by Soviet organisations will be repaid by deliveries of certain types of products to the USSR. The output of the mining and food industry enterprises built in Algeria with Soviet assistance will go to repay Soviet credits. In Guinea the USSR has helped to build a 160 nationai bauxite-producing enterprise which will deliver part of its output to the USSR for a period of 30 years to repay Soviet credits and also in fulfilment of the terms of their trade agreements.

p Such production cooperation stimulates the development of a new, equal and mutually beneficial international division of labour between the socialist and developing countries, as opposed to the system of imperialist exploitation in the sphere of international relations.

p Another new trend in the USSR’s cooperation with African countries is the considerable growth in the volume of work performed by Soviet organisations to ensure the successful exploitation of the constructed projects. The reason is that most of these countries still have a shortage of specialists who could ensure uninterrupted operation of new enterprises immediately upon their commissioning. Currently hundreds of Soviet specialists who are helping to run industrial enterprises and other projects built with Soviet assistance are in African countries at the invitation of their governments. Together with African engineers, technicians and executive personnel they rapidly bring the constructed enterprises up to full capacity, ensure their uninterrupted supply with raw materials, schedule marketing of their produce, increase their profitability, and reduce the time needed to recoup capital investments.

p The main result of the Soviet Union’s economic and technical cooperation with the developing African countries is that it helps to stimulate the growth of the latter’s productive forces, mutually beneficial trade and their export opportunities, reduces requirements in specific costly imported commodities which can be locally produced, and promotes employment and the well-being of the local population. In other words, it strengthens the economic independence of these countries.

p Cooperation with the USSR enables the young states to benefit from scientific and technical progress. Soviet organisations provide them with modern machines and equipment, technological processes, licences and other types of technical documentation, and Soviet specialists share their scientific and technical know-how and experience. It is also universally recognised that the majority of Soviet engineers, technicians, doctors and teachers working in African countries and in other developing states not only fulfil their contracts to the 161 letter but also, irrespective of the terms of these contracts, willingly share their knowledge and experience with the local citizens who work with them.

p By cooperating with the Soviet Union the developing countries strengthen their economic and political positions and become less dependent on the world capitalist economy. They are able to fight with increasing success against neocolonialism and more confidently uphold their national interests in economic relations with the capitalist states. In this way they make it more difficult for the capitalist countries to pursue their neocolonialist policy.

Hence, the development of trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation with the socialist states is an objective requirement of the developing countries. This cooperation will help them to attain progressive changes in the structure of their economy, cast off their economic dependence on foreign capital, and play an equal role in the system of the international division of labour.