International Economic Organisations of the Socialist Countries, organisations functioning in various realms of the activity of the CMEA member countries (see Council for Mutual Economic Assistance). In certain instances they encompass a complex of different stages of production ( scientific and technical developments, production activity, services) and in others—only some of these stages. The greater internationalisation of the productive forces, the growing socialisation of production and exchange, of science and technology, and the extending economic integration of the socialist countries (see Integration, Economic Socialist) are an objective basis for the development of these organisations. The creation of these organisations is determined by concrete objectives and tasks facing the CMEA member countries in various fields of the economy and scientific and technical progress and, above all, by the necessity and expediency of jointly dealing on a mutually advantageous basis with the specific problems of manufacturing products, developing a scientific and technological capacity, improving international transport and more rationally handling international settlements. The international economic organisations are established on a multilateral and bilateral basis, and plan their activity on the general principles of relations between socialist countries. As far as their character and legislative status are concerned, they are subdivided into inter-state organisations and international economic associations, joint enterprises and international economic companies. Coordinated actions by member countries in certain fields of the economy, science and technology, in certain industries, sub-industries and in certain products serve as the basic function of the inter-state economic organisations. They are founded on the basis of treaties concluded between the socialist countries concerned. The international economic organisations have been established to coordinate joint efforts in a concrete way, as well as for joint economic activity in research, planning and design, production, services and foreign trade. Taking part are the economic organisations of the socialist countries—associations, enterprises, institutions, etc., i. e., organisations which are subjects of civil law and which retain complete legal and organisational independence. Whereas the international economic associations and joint enterprises are legal persons, the international economic company is not, although it also either coordinates the actions of its participants or conducts their joint economic activity. It functions on the basis of joint control and of management of the affairs by one of 175 its participants on the instuctions of the rest. Today there are over 30 international socialist economic organisations in the system of economic and scientific and technical cooperation. Among them are: the International Bank for Economic Cooperation and the International Investment Bank; the production organisations such as Intermetall, Interchim, the Organisation for Cooperation in Ball-bearing Industry, Railway Freight Transport, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research; the international economic organisations Interatominstrument, Interatomenergo, Intertextilmasch and Interchimvolokno; bilateral organisations such as Assofoto and Interport; and the joint companies Haldex, Erdenet and others. The activity of the international socialist economic organisations promotes the successful development of integration processes.